ISSN 1712-8358[Print] Cross-Cultural Communication ISSN 1923-6700[Online] Vol. 17, No. 2, 2021, pp. 28-35 www.cscanada.net DOI:10.3968/12188 www.cscanada.org Post-Ethnic Humanistic Care in Chinese American Science Fictions XU Gang[a],* [a] Inner Mongolian University for Nationalities, Tongliao, China. Award, Nebula Award and other science fiction awards, * Corresponding author. and the new generation of Chinese science fiction writers, Supported by the Science and Technology Research Project of such as Karen Bao and Shelley Li, have also been institutions of higher learning in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region: A repeatedly nominated for Hugo Award, Nebula Award and study of futurism in Chinese American science fiction” (NJSY21434). Campbell Award. In the traditional sense, the themes of Received 8 April 2021; accepted 2 June 2021 Chinese American writers’ works are relatively limited, Published online 26 June 2021 such as identity anxiety, homesickness, and generational differences among immigrants. However, some of the Abstract second and third generations of Chinese immigrants are In recent years, Chinese American science fiction shows not necessarily interested in these topics, and they are the integration of science, literature and humanistic care devoting their literary passion to genre literature such as into an organic whole. Chinese American science fiction science fiction, because genre literature does not have writers combine the elements of science and technology stereotypes about the ethnic origin of the authors, and the with the realistic social problems in their works to expose motif of science fiction transcends national boundaries the dilemmas between the development of science and and ethnic groups, so science fiction makes Chinese technology and human society, thus the issues of artificial American writers break through the fetters of realistic intelligence ethics, technological alienation and the rights literary creation. Some Chinese science fiction writers and interests of the marginal group have gradually become use the futurism perspective of science fiction to link the the central concern in Chinese American science fictions. past, present and future organically so that they can better In essence, the focus of Chinese American science fiction express their reflection on reality and insight into the writers transcends ethnic barriers and shows a kind of future development of the world. This paper will analyze post-ethnic universal humanistic care, which has a positive the works of three Chinese science fiction writers, Ted and practical significance for building a new world order Jiang, Ken Liu, Karen Bao and Shelley Li, and explore of harmony and fraternity. their reflection on the universal humanistic care beyond Key words: Chinese American; Science fiction; Post- ethnic barriers. ethnic humanistic care 1. THE MEDITATION ON ARTIFICIAL X u, G. (2021). Post-Ethnic Humanistic Care in Chinese American Science Fictions. Cross-Cultural Communication, 17(2), 28-35. Available INTELLIGENCE ETHINICS from: http//www.cscanada.net/index.php/ccc/article/view/12188 DOI: Artificial intelligence is closely related to digital http://dx.doi.org/10.3968/12188 technologies that will have significant impact on the development of humanity in the near future. They have raised fundamental questions about what we should do with these systems, what risks they involve, and how we INTRODUCTION can treat the Artificial Intelligence with proper life ethics. In recent years, Chinese American science fiction has In the science fiction of Chinese American writers, the life risen rapidly. Ted Jiang, Ken Liu and other Chinese ethics related to Artificial Intelligence Ethics is explored science fiction writers have successively won the Hugo in depth. Copyright © Canadian Academy of Oriental and Occidental Culture 28 XU Gang (2021). Cross-Cultural Communication, 17(2), 28-35 1.1 The Development of Life Ethics Into the Field beings are not able to or unwilling to do. However, when of Artificial Intelligence artificial intelligence, particularly “conscious” artificial At the very beginning, life ethics was regarded as an intelligence, brings some convenience and benefits interdisciplinary discipline to solve specific life problems to mankind, it also causes some ethical issues such as and strengthen the research of strategies and methods in human rights ethics, responsibility ethics and so on. These life medicine science. The definition of life in life ethics problems are not only related to science and technology is mainly refers to human life, but it also involved in itself, but more involved in the ethical reflection on the animal and plant life and ecological environment, and the problems of human society. ethics is normative research to human behavior science, So artificial intelligence ethics is concerned with a combination of both means that defines the subject as ensuring that “the behavior of machines toward human applies the theory and method of the ethics of life science users and perhaps other machines as well, is ethically and health care policies, laws and systems research on acceptable”. (Anderson and Anderson 2007, p.15) If the ethical issues such as the decisions and behavior. In one takes artificial intelligence ethics to concern moral fact, life ethics points to the most fundamental goal of agents, in some substantial sense, then these agents can clarifying and resolving the human condition, the value of be called “artificial moral agents”, having rights and life and the purpose of life. responsibilities. However, the discussion about artificial Life ethics clearly points to the specific ethical entities challenges a number of common notions in ethics problems related to the survival of all mankind in the real and it can be very useful to understand these in abstraction society, and sorts out and improves these problems. What’s from the human case (Misselhorn, 2020, p.79). more, bioethics advocates respect for different cultural values, and highlights the bioethical problems common 1.2 The Ethical Dilemmas of Artificial Intelligence. to all mankind today, seeking to solve these problems In his science fiction The Lifecycle of Software Objects under the principle of seeking common ground while published in 2010, Ted Chiang focuses on the ethical setting aside minor differences on the basis of mutual dilemmas brought about by artificial intelligence. In consultation, thus it explores the philosophical issues such this novella, Ted Chiang describes a kind of artificial as the nature of morality, the value of life and the essential intelligence named digients, which was invented and attributes of human beings, and to explore the problems of became popular among people’s life, but finally became human existence from various cultural levels. out of fashion. Different from most existing science In the contemporary world, science and technology fictions on artificial intelligence in which the artificial become links with human society more closely. The intelligences are designed perfectly from the moment they industrial revolution creates miracles one by one, rapidly are invented and are able to do whatever human beings changing the social life of human beings. As we know, want them to do, this novella imagines the artificial during the last industrial revolution the machines took the intelligence possessed the ability to learn and think. In Ted place of human being’s body, and in the new industrial Chiang’s opinion, it is impossible for artificial intelligence revolution represented by computer and artificial to be born with everything human beings want it to have intelligence, the aim of machines becomes human being’s or with the ability to think by itself. He believes that they brain. Generally speaking, the final aim of artificial must be taught by somebody else. In The Lifecycle of intelligence is to make machine think like we human Software Objects, the protagonists Ana Alvareda, Derek beings. And in the field of science fiction, Isaac Asimov Brooks and other people take the responsibility to teach introduced The Three Laws of Robotics (“A robot may the artificial intelligence. The experience of living with not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a the artificial intelligence brings them happiness and human being to come to harm. A robot must obey the difficulties as well. orders given it by human beings, except where such orders The story begins with Ana’s attempt to be a trainer of would conflict with the First Law. A robot must protect its digients, virtual pets whose codes were run on the network own existence as long as such protection does not conflict and who lived in virtual environment, being born without with the First or Second Law”) in his 1942 short story much knowledge about the world but with the ability to “Runaround” (Asimov, 1950, p.68), In a great number of learn. Their developer sold them to consumers as pets and science fictions since then always depicted a wonderful let consumers raise and teach them. As digients gradually future world in which the science and technology are grew up, they had some human characteristics little by prosperous, the material is extremely abundant and the little and different people treated them considerably life of human being is more beautiful because of artificial differently. Most people treated them just like slaves: intelligence. Human beings get well along with artificial some abused them while others entertained themselves intelligence on condition