Project2

IAH 206 Project TwoDr. Mike Ristich

What does AI teach us

about being human?

Rhetorical Situation

You should imagine yourself writing a brief

memo to Dr. Kirk Kidwell, the Director of

IAH. He'll use your f indings to design

another course called "What Robots Can Tell

Us About Being Human."

Rhetorical Situation Cont.

You've read a lot of strange readings. You've watched some provocative videos.

What do these videos and readings tell us about

ourselves? Why do humans seem intent on making

such technologies?

Rhetorical Invention

Rhetorical Invention Cont. (Analysis)

Why are governments and companies investing so much into the development of AI?

Why has AI occupied so much of society’s collective

imagination?

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What would you have students understand about the relationship between AI

and humanity?

What are the things we fear most about AI? What are the

things we want f rom AI?

Remember, to analyze means to break an object into its constituent parts. So, ask

yourselves these (and other) questions in order to understand the subject.

It seems humans are scared of their own mortality. 

Humans in the 21st century are lonely and overworked.

Money drives everything (good and bad).

Rhetorical Invention (Interpretation)

Remember, to interpret means to develop an explanation of how an object is constructed. So, turn your analysis into some opinions like the ones above.

After sorting out how you feel about the question (summary, analysis, and interpretation), you can

compare your interpretation to your

sources. 

Rhetorical Invention (synthesis)

Remember, to synthesize means to put things together in order to create and test knowledge.

As you encounter your sources again, do you see

patterns, similarities, differences (among the

sources and/or your opinion)?

Rhetorical Invention (Synthesis Cont)

It's at this point--where we've learned (through summary-analysis-interpretation) about the object

(film), and compared it to other bodies of knowledge (synthesis), that we can generate a new perspective.

Now you should have an answer to the question

you've been asked to answer?:

What does AI teach us about being human?

New Knowledge? Anwers?

Turn your synthesis into a thesis & claims.

Turn your analysis of

the videos and readings into

evidence.

Thesis: "Studying AI teaches us that humans..."

Claim: "Humans desire to control all variables that affect a human's life."

Evidence: "For example, Yuval Harrari notes..."

Connection back to thesis/purpose: "So, I would recommend that any future class on AI focus on..."

Focus on Paragraphs

The rest is up to you.

Make sure each section (introduction, summary, analysis, conclusion) of your writing does the appropriate rhetorical

work.

Of course, you'll also be able to summarize,

analyze, interpret, synthesize, and

evaluate your essays's effectiveness in your

cover letter. Email me with any questions:

ristich@msu.edu