Raphaela Edelbauer reads »DAVE«
Portrait of Raphaela Edelbauer
Reading at the ZKM Isle Hub
Sun, July 11, 2021 7 pm CEST, Reading
Isle Hub on the Forecourt
Canceled
Language: German

What does it take to endow a machine with human consciousness? Raphaela Edelbauer's new novel »DAVE« deals with this question.

»DAVE« is a book about artificial intelligence – and about a fallacy: the view that every problem of humanity can be eliminated by progress, embodied by an intelligent machine. How can we then still position ourselves as humans, as organic mammals embedded in a natural cosmos? 

Edelbauer's novel explores these questions through the story of a laboratory of programmers whose goal is nothing less than the development of the first general artificial intelligence, equipped with the ultimate in computing power and human consciousness: DAVE. In blind faith in technology, the laboratory works towards the realisation of artificial superintelligence. But when the programmer Syz looks behind the scenes of the lab, his unconditional belief in technology begins to waver. What purpose does DAVE really serve and who will benefit from it?

The event will be held in German. It will take place outside on ZKM Isle Hub, but in the case of rain and alike it will be located inside at ZKM Vortragssaal.

Cover of the novel »Dave« by Raphaela Edelbauer in black and purple

Raphaela Edelbauer, born in Vienna, studied language arts at the University of Applied Arts. For her work »Entdecker. Eine Poetik« she was awarded the main prize at the Rauriser Literaturtage. She was also awarded the Audience Prize at the Bachmann Competition, the Theodor Körner Prize and the Sponsorship Prize of the Doppelfeld Foundation. With her novel »Das flüssige Land« (The Liquid Land) she was shortlisted for the German Book Prize and the Austrian Book Prize. Raphaela Edelbauer lives in Vienna.

Raphaela Edelbauer in an orange space suit in front of a glass skyscraper.
Organization / Institution
ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe