Söylem Journal of Philology

Abstract

The technological developments of every era have directly or indirectly affected humanity in social, cultural, and economic aspects. Humans, who have managed to adapt to changing production methods, increasing communication channels, and the accelerating pace of life, have continued their progress despite occasionally facing complex challenges. Literature has always been an integral part of human life, serving as an ancient companion that encompasses all the developments experienced throughout history. After all, literature is a medium through which life, dreams, fears, and all feelings and thoughts about humanity can be expressed. The idea of a world increasingly dominated by robots, which have begun to permeate our lives—especially with the integration of computers into daily routines—is approaching reality day by day. The prospect of machines that cannot be halted by merely pressing a button or unplugging them, and that make their own decisions instead of following our instructions, is both intriguing and frightening. This situation has led to the more frequent exploration of machines that mimic human behavior by learning from humans, a phenomenon we refer to as artificial intelligence, in literary works. This study examines the recently published works of Afşin Kum’s Kübra and Louisa Hall’s Speak from a posthumanist perspective. The focus is on the messages conveyed by these works, emphasizing the advancements of today’s artificial intelligence technology and its potential future developments. In this context, inferences are made using a comparative approach. This study is expected to make a significant contribution to the literature by examining the possible consequences of humanizing machines through artificial intelligence and their reflections in literary works in today’s world, where even human strengths and weaknesses cannot be fully managed.