UNDERSTANDING TECHNO-DETERMINISM IN MCEWAN’S MACHINES LIKE ME: A POSTHUMANIST STUDY

Abstract

In the 21st century, the hierarchies of becoming a global superpower have been changed due to the technological revolution, especially. This research unfolded the factors of post-humanist technology, which created an illusion in human consciousness.  The rise of Artificial Intelligence changed the concept of governance from a democratic regime towards a technological regime; this research aligned Noah Harari’s concept of techno-determinism with Ian McEwan’s Machines Like Me 2019) and identified the dynamism generated by technological advancements and the challenges faced by humankind. The qualitative research dealt with McEwan’s portrayal of human-like consciousness in the Synthetic robot and the cyborg consoling and betraying biological beings, which ultimately led toward the dismantling of liberal humanist ideals and thus unfolded the possible threats coming out of digital absolutism. The study foregrounded the futuristic approach in determining technology as a primary historical driver, leaving limited space for human agency, ethics, and political choice highlighted the possible outcomes of digitisation, automation and technological revolutions. The findings of this research introduced new insights into the posthuman turn of techno-determinism. In the technological era, humans are bound to opt for technology for their good ends, as a result of which the human race is evolving with various external environmental, global issues.