>robophobia

Beebo has this obsession with robophobia and he always brings it up to persecute his classmates for their discriminatory language towards him specific to the fact that he is a robot.

Many might see it as a crappy mockery of the "SJW snowflake wokeism" of the time, but I genuinely think the concept of "robophobia" builds a point of view that deconstructs the normalized perceptions towards non-humans, in this case, robots. It brings into light the social mores of society that result in the oppression of robots.

Kiibo is frequently evaluated for his characteristics as a robot. Being the Ultimate Robot, there is a notion that he's somehow "the best robot there is." Fundamentally, the question is "what makes a good robot?"

In NDRV3, students often found it disappointing when they discover that Kiibo isn't like the robots one would see in sci-fi media. He isn't equipped with "cool features" like laser eyes or rocket-powered fists. His body isn't super strong or durable---in fact he is the opposite of what one would think of humanity's greatest technological advancement, needing constant care and frequent maintenance from others in order to function properly in his day to day life.

By all means, Kiibo is a "useless" robot. That he is an Ultimate of his kind, one would be hesitant to agree. Perhaps often people would wish he was more outstanding, or at the very least, more independent than he is.

Yet, the concept of robophobia asks, on what basis are we evaluating robots by in the first place, and why? This ideology shines in conjunction with the concept of post-humanism, and brings forth questions in ontology and ethics that reframe our concept of "valuable".

Possible Topics:

• It can be said that the root of robophobia is the idea that a robot's worth is not inherent to itself, but relative to humans' perceived value of them.
• A common subject of scrutiny is a robot's "humanness" (the name of such criteria in of itself is robophobic). Can robots feel emotion? Are the calculations of a robot as "real" as human consciousness?
• Robot discrimination also stems from the idea that robots are non-living things and are inherently less valuable than human beings for the sole reason that they are created by humans from inorganic material.

(Note: It sounds like I'm taking the concept of robophobia more seriously than it should be. In all aspects, I am, but strictly in a fictional setting where robots are fantastical creatures who have the same rational capabilities as humans. Given the current cultural climate of the time I'm writing this in, I have to clarify that I do not think generative AI or its users are an oppressed demographic.)