Book Talk: Artificial: A Love Story

Amy Kurzweil will be discussing her acclaimed book, "Artificial: A Love Story". In this unique narrative, Amy explores the intersections of art, memory, and technology, focusing on three generations of her creative family. At the heart of the story is a remarkable project by her father, Ray Kurzweil, a renowned inventor and futurist, who is developing an AI chatbot to preserve the voice of his own father, Fredric Kurzweil. Through this family journey, Artificial raises profound questions: How do we connect with our past? Can technology keep our loved ones' voices alive? And what role do art, spirit, and storytelling play in preserving our history?

Amy Kurzweil is a New Yorker cartoonist and the author of two award-winning graphic memoirs. Artificial: A Love Story documents her father's quest to preserve the identity of his father, a Vienesse musician, through AI. It was named a best book of 2023 by NPR, The New Yorker, and Kirkus and was published in German with Verlaghaus Jacoby & Stuart in October. Flying Couch: A Graphic Memoir, from 2016, tells the story of three generations of Jewish women in Amy's family. Amy was the recipient of a 2021 Berlin Prize with The American Academy in Berlin, among other fellowships. Her series with The Believer Magazine, "Technofeelia," has been nominated for a Reuben Award and an Ignatz award. Her work has also been published in The Verge, The New York Times Book Review, The LA Times, Wired and many other places. She has taught writing and cartooning widely for over a decade.

Join at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development or online:

Webex access

Meeting number: 2742 790 5160

Meeting password: 3bpFjsMfy56