CFP: Topical Collection: Waiting for Robot: Toward a Philosophy of Technological Failure Artificial Life (MIT Press)
Submission deadline: January 10, 2027
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Topical Collection: Waiting for Robot: Toward a Philosophy of Technological Failure, Artificial Life (MIT Press)
Guest Editors: Giulio Amore (Università degli Studi di Padova), Andrea Gentili (Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg / Università degli Studi di Padova), Marco Tamborini (Università Pegaso)
This collection reorients philosophical and historical analysis of AI, robotics, and automation away from narratives of progress and success, placing failure at the center. The concept of "Waiting for Robot" describes a condition of persistent anticipation, in which the robot functions as much as a conceptual horizon as a concrete artifact. Breakdowns, malfunctions, and unrealized projects are treated not as marginal outcomes but as generative epistemic events that expose hidden assumptions and drive conceptual change. We welcome philosophical analyses, theoretical considerations, and historically grounded case studies on how failure shapes technoscientific knowledge.
Abstract deadline: 10 January 2027
Abstract acceptance notification: 31 January 2027
Full paper deadline: 15 June 2027
If interested, please send an abstract of approximately 500 words to the Guest Editors:
Giulio Amore — [email protected]
Andrea Gentili — [email protected]
Marco Tamborini — [email protected]