Power, Knowledge, and
Artificial Consciousness in The Lifecycle of Software
Objects by Ted Chiang
Swati Joshi
ABSTRACT
In recent years, artificial intelligence has
advanced significantly. In our highly digitalized and AI-driven
world, machines are no longer limited to mechanical tasks. They can
now recognize complex patterns, simulate emotions, and make choices
that directly shape our daily lives. As this technological shift
unfolds, literature continues to provide space to step back and
question what is happening not just in terms of efficiency or
innovation, but by considering ethics, power, responsibility and the
essence of consciousness. Ted Chiang, an acclaimed American science
fiction writer, explores these complicated themes in his work The
Lifecycle of Software Objects, which stands out as a significant
literary exploration. This paper looks at the novella through the
interconnected lenses of power and knowledge. It looks at how human
characters try to stay in control through ownership, technological
skills, access to information, and economic control as the digients
move towards self-awareness through learning and experience. It also
discusses the relevance of Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Michel
Foucault’s theory of power/knowledge, and Karl Marx’s critique of
commodification. Ultimately, it argues that Chiang’s work goes
beyond a mere story about future machines and offers a thoughtful
reflection on the present human society, where power often disguises
itself as convenience, progress, and commercial necessity.
Keywords: allegory of the cave, artificial consciousness, autonomy,
ethics, power, technology.
