Blue Box Speaker Series

Friday, March 27, 12-1 p.m.

A-2071

PhD Candidate (MUN-Sociology) Keif Godbout-Kinney.

‘The doctor is on’: In what ways does automation change relational dynamics, performative roles, and surgeon identity?

This work is situated within a growing field that examines the larger societal ramifications of people’s increasing use of and reliance on automation. Grounded in discourses on the potential impacts and implications of automation on human relationality and discussions of the cultural significance and meaning-making of robots and AI, this work provides a social analysis rooted in the everyday practice of automation in medical settings. The impetus for this project comes from two primary sources: The first is my longstanding interest in automation and social robots, stemming primarily from my master’s thesis on the emergence of sex robots under capitalism and the potential implications for intimate human relationships. The second is driven by the recent (as of this writing, 2022) advent of ChatGPT and similar large language models (LLMs) and how such algorithms are inciting myriad discussions on automation and the future of work.

Presented by Department of Geography

Event Listing 2026-03-27 12:00:00 2026-03-27 13:00:00 America/St_Johns Blue Box Speaker Series PhD Candidate (MUN-Sociology) Keif Godbout-Kinney. ‘The doctor is on’: In what ways does automation change relational dynamics, performative roles, and surgeon identity? This work is situated within a growing field that examines the larger societal ramifications of people’s increasing use of and reliance on automation. Grounded in discourses on the potential impacts and implications of automation on human relationality and discussions of the cultural significance and meaning-making of robots and AI, this work provides a social analysis rooted in the everyday practice of automation in medical settings. The impetus for this project comes from two primary sources: The first is my longstanding interest in automation and social robots, stemming primarily from my master’s thesis on the emergence of sex robots under capitalism and the potential implications for intimate human relationships. The second is driven by the recent (as of this writing, 2022) advent of ChatGPT and similar large language models (LLMs) and how such algorithms are inciting myriad discussions on automation and the future of work. A-2071 Department of Geography