“Dear Machines: Robotics and Catalan Science Fiction” Symposium

This event is part of the complementary activities of the Virtual Reading Club “Òrbita Lectora” of the Humanities Library.

Free entry with prior registration.

12:00. Opening remarks by Sílvia Redondo (Head of the Humanities Library)

12:10. Carme Torras: Visions of the future that inspire reflection and action

The mutual inspiration between technoscience and fiction has never been more evident or necessary. The fantasy of creating artificial humans has led to robotic assistants, which raise ethical questions explored in fiction. Researchers, educators, and business leaders turn to science fiction to anticipate the benefits and risks of AI and social robotics. Speculative literature serves as a cultural resource to imagine future worlds, foster ethical reflection, and explore responsible choices. This convergence of technoscience and the humanities opens promising perspectives for the years ahead.

12:30. Víctor Martínez-Gil: Artificial consciousness in Catalan literature

The creation of artificial conscious life is one of the earliest themes in Catalan science fiction, emerging between the Renaixença and Modernisme and following the path of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. The talk will show how these questions have remained central, from early satire to current debates on virtual immortality and AI. Texts will be discussed through the lens of “futures of the past” and the concept of post-singularity.

12:50. Sara Martín Alegre: The ethical impact of robotics and digital technologies: Carme Torras, from La mutació sentimental to Enxarxats

Carme Torras is an internationally renowned scientist in assistive robotics and a fiction writer. This talk focuses on her two science fiction novels, examining how ethical concerns about robotics and digital communication shape her work. In a distant future, humans become dangerously dependent on robots, while in a present-day setting people cling to their digital footprint beyond death, creating burdens for their heirs. Her work highlights the risks of technoscience and her own ethical commitment as a researcher.

13:10. Sergi Robles: When machines do not behave as expected: hidden risks of AI and intelligent robots

This talk explores a paradox of modern technology: AI systems are increasingly capable yet structurally vulnerable. Their design and training make them susceptible to manipulation, especially when embedded in autonomous agents. The talk connects these risks with a classic science fiction theme: machines behaving unpredictably not out of malice, but due to their way of learning and human influence.

13:30. Round table: Catalan science fiction narrative. Carme Torras, Antoni Munné-Jordà, Sara Martín Alegre and Víctor Martínez-Gil; moderator: Lluc Casals