ALEXANDER Gregory

PhD student

PhD student 

  • ATER
  • Doctoral Representative

Contact Details:

Research Areas

Film studies, science fiction, cultural perspectives on new technology, and the potential risks of artificial intelligence (AI).

Research Period

20th and 21st century

Additional Information

  • Member of the SAES (Société des Anglicistes de l’Enseignement Supérieur)
  • Member of SERCIA (Société pour l’Enseignement et la Recherche du Cinéma Anglophone)

Dissertation Title

Can science fiction film analysis offer insight into the ethical challenges created by artificial intelligence (AI)?

Dissertation Advisor

Professor Sébastien LEFAIT (LERMA, AMU)

Dissertation Summary

This thesis explores how, through the study of science fiction films, we can investigate the current risks associated with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the present, with the objective of subsequently evaluating possible future risks. By analyzing how science fiction films represent AI’s societal impact, this research paper aims to raise awareness about the ethical considerations surrounding AI technologies. As AI machines become more autonomous, questions about their ethical uses arise, particularly concerning current technologies like smartphones, autonomous vehicles, chatbots and autonomous weaponry. This research is important because AI powered machines are becoming ever more integrated into daily life. Understanding AI’s societal implications is essential to humanity’s future, given the rapid pace of technological innovation and how AI transcends international borders. By merging film theory with AI research, this project offers a multidisciplinary exploration of how film can contribute to our understanding of AI’s societal impact. In summary, this thesis explores the intersection of film, AI, and societal ethics, aiming to give insight into the potential dangers and ethical considerations associated with our increasingly AI-driven future through the lens of science fiction cinema.

Keywords

Film studies; artificial intelligence (AI); ethical considerations; science fiction; risk assessment; societal impact

Career

  • 2023 – 2024: ATER, Aix-Marseille Université
  • 2021 – 2023: Maître de Langue, Aix-Marseille Université
  • 2020 – 2021: Lecteur, Aix-Marseille Université

Education

Master of Arts [Master 2] in philosophy; with a specialisation in the philosophy of mind, The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. July 2017 – July 2019

  • Dissertation topic : “Artificial Intelligence, Machines & Understanding: A Critique of John Searle’s Chinese Room Thought  Experiment”

Bachelor of Arts [Licence] with Honours [Master 1] in philosophy, The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa. January 2013 – December 2016

  • Fourth year Honours dissertation title: “Artificial Intelligence : The Ethical Implications of Autonomous Cars”
  • Bachelor of Arts, with a triple major in philosophy, international relations and french.
  • “Can the character, Ava, in the film Ex Machina, be considered as a conscious, moral agent ? An exploration into how artificial intelligence will affect the future.”, Esprit Futur (Episode 2: The Fabric of the Future), Aix-Marseille University, Aix-en-Provence, France, the 17th of November 2022.

2023 – 2024

ATER au Département d’étude du monde anglophone (DEMA)

  • TD Anglais : Littérature et Adaptation, Licence 1, LLCER, 5 groupes (01h30)
  • TD Anglais Continuant 1, LANSAD, 1 groupe (02h30)
  • TD Civilisation : Analyse d’Images, Licence 1, LLCER, 4 groupes (01h30)

2022 – 2023

Maître de Langue, DEMA

  • TD Anglais : Culture 1 Compréhension, « Civilisation Britannique et Américaine », Licence 1, LEA, 1 groupe (01h00)  (Responsable de cours)
  • TD et SFAD Méthodologie de Travail Universitaire (MTU), Licence 1, LLCER, 1 groupe (02h00) (Responsable de cours)
  • TD Anglais Renforcé, Licence 1, LEA, 2 groupes (01h30) (Responsable de cours)
  • TD Anglais : Littérature et Adaptation, Licence 1, LLCER, 4 groupes (01h30)
  • TD Anglais pour des Psychologues, Licence 1, 4 groupes (02h00)
  • TD Anglais pour des Psychologues, Licence 3, 4 groupes (02h00)
  • TD Anglais Renforcement 2 (Sujet : « Dystopian Literature, Film & Technology »), LANSAD, 2 groupes
  • TD Anglais Continuant 1, LANSAD, 1 groupe
  • TD Civilisation : Analyse d’Images, Licence 1, LLCER, 2 groupes

2021 – 2022

Maître de Langue, DEMA

  • TD Anglais : Culture 1 Compréhension, « Civilisation Britannique et Américaine », Licence 1, LEA  (Responsable de cours)
  • TD et SFAD Méthodologie de Travail Universitaire (MTU), Licence 1, LLCER (Responsable de cours)
  • TD Anglais Renforcé, Licence 1, LEA (Responsable de cours)
  • TD Anglais Renforcement 2, LANSAD
  • TD Civilisation : Analyse d’Images, Licence 1, LLCER
  • TD Anglais : Littérature et Adaptation, Licence 1, LLCER

2020 – 2021

Lecteur, DEMA

  • TD Méthodologie de Travail Universitaire (MTU), Licence 1, LLCER                                                                                                                                              
  • TD Anglais : Culture 1 Compréhension, « Civilisation Britannique et Américaine », Licence 1, LEA                                                                              
  • TD LANSAD “Continuant 1“, LANSAD
  • TD Anglais : Langue 2 – Phonétique, Licence 1, LEA
  • NEO (Nouvel Espace Oralité, Soutien et Conversation en Anglais), Centre Formation des Langues (CFAL)