Liezi's automaton: why Chinese culture may frame AI anxiety differently
yochowgwo · x · 2026-09-10
The author argues Chinese culture never treated human-like machines as taboo: the Liezi (3rd century CE) tells of craftsman Yan Shi building a lifelike automaton that fools a king — and ends in admiration, not punishment. So AI anxiety may be less "should we do this at all" and more "what can it do, who controls it, and what happens when it becomes everyday."
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