A Study of the Ethics of Science and Technology in Machines Like Me

Abstract

Ian McEwan places importance on writing about ethical issues in his novels. His novel Machines Like Me focuses on the ethical issues of machines. By analyzing the text, it can be seen that the robot Adam is very similar to a human being, and even more intelligent and powerful than an ordinary human being, which leads to Charlie's identity anxiety. Adam's value judgment strictly follows the law, and he is unable to understand the lies and the human choices in complex ethical situations. Adam is programmed to meet moral standards, and Adam is more selfless than humans. However, Adam is unable to break through the programming and falls in love with Miranda, the "criminal", and intervenes in the relationship between Miranda and Charlie, thus falling into an ethical dilemma. In the novel, the author reflects on the relationship between humans and robots and the morality of human beings.