Download

Download Full Text (1.4 MB)

Description

Philosopher Darren Chetty’s first picture book playfully explores a sort of language-accident: we say we make drawings and machines–and also that we make friends. Chetty shows us a child who tries to construct a robot-friend. As the child thinks about the elements that go into a friendship, we’re reminded of the contradictory desires of childhood companionship: for space and comfort, adventure and familiarity, a private connection and an opening to the wider world. What would one put into an artificial companion? The problem is as old as Pinocchio and Pygmalion. As the construction proceeds, the other kind of “making friends” shows up: another child shows an interest in the project, but has different ideas. In the emerging world of artificial intelligence, this book’s investigation of the distinctive features of human interactions is urgently needed.

Publication Date

2025

Publisher

Institute for the Advancement of Philosophy for Children

City

Montclair

Keywords

friendship, robots

Disciplines

Early Childhood Education | Education | Philosophy

<em>I'm Going to Make a Friend</em> (2025) by Darren Chetty

Please consider a small donation to the IAPC.

Share

COinS