"I ought to be thy Adam”: Asimov's I, Robot, creation, and personhood

I Ought to be Thy Adam: Asimovs I, Robot, Creation, and Personhood will examine the religious importance of artificial intelligence narratives by focusing on Isaac Asimovs I, Robot. It will begin by examining the history of artificial intelligence, both in science and in fiction, and argue for the importance of Asimovs work in these fields. It will focus on the creator/creation relationship in the I, Robot stories and examine the ways in which robots can be important participants in the debate over personhood and identity. This work will examine the ways in which Asimov creates a moral framework and how this ethical system interacts with questions of personhood and identity. It will argue that science fiction and I, Robot make important contributions to the religious discussion of creation and selfhood and that they are uniquely situated to play a role in future conceptions of artificial intelligence and identity.