Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Subjectivity: A Hyperrealist Analysis of Egan’s The Candy House and Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun

Abstract

This research paper focuses on the portrayal of the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Technology on subjectivity of characters in Jennifer Egan’s The Candy House (2022) and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun (2021). The paper inquires the hyperreal modification of characters’ perceptions and emotions in the context of rapidly advancing technological environment. The paper explores the depiction of AI driven characters and different methods through which technology shapes their personalities in order to investigate the emotional construction and evolution of these characters. The paper exposes different approaches used by Egan and Ishiguro in portraying the influence of technology on character development and emphasizing the blurred boundaries between human and AI identities. Both narratives explore the profound influence of technology on the evolution of characters, blurring the boundaries between the real and the artificial. Through the lens of Jean Baudrillard’s concept of ‘hyperreality’ this analysis investigates the implications of AI and technological incorporation on subjectivity of characters giving a deeper understanding of the ever evolving relationship between humans and technology