The Institut für Artifizialanthropologie / Institute for Artificialanthropology along with the science of the same name studies all kinds of artificial humans through an interdisciplinary approach combining science and cultural studies.

Thus the Institute for Artificialanthropology has proposed a classification of artificial humans that is applicable in science as well as in the humanities and social sciences. This classification is aimed at enhancing interdisciplinary information exchange as it intertwines scientific findings and insights from various specialised disciplines like, e.g. social robotics, human computer interaction, artificial intelligence, artificial life, prosthetics on the one hand and cultural studies, literary studies, sociology, philosophy along with information arts on the other.

In the face of current developments in computer sciences (artificial intelligence, virtual humans, humanoids) as well as medicine and molecular biology (prosthetics, cloning) the Institute for Artificialanthropology's responsibility is not only to give a theoretical foundation to the study of artificial humans but also to institutionalize this field of research.

The study of artificial humans is able to inspire a vast number of innovative discoveries in the future. Besides new findings in basic research in the fields of science, technology, and the arts studying artificial humans will help to create new technological applications for everyday use - e.g. by supporting the development of new man-machine-interfaces in the field of information technology or creating new applications in different fields of service from marketing to nursing.

The services of the Institute for Artificialanthropology cover information exchange, research, consulting, evaluations, examinations, reports and engineering results assessment. Currently we especially focus on evaluating user responses to embodied conversational agents and developing new three-dimensional man-machine-interfaces (project "automorphic interface").

The Institute for Artificialanthropology's core research activities consist of:

1. Documenting the history / historical development of artificial humans in science, technology, and the arts.

2. Providing interdisciplinary information exchange for scientists and the general public.

3. Giving evaluations and reports on all issues related to artificial humans, especially legal issues and thus participating in the development of a ,code of conduct' towards artificial humans as well as lobbying the interests of artificial humans.

4. Developing concepts for future applications of all technologies related to artificial humans, especially man-machine-interfaces, social robotics, living artifacts, virtual humans with special respect to the conditions of a so called ,experience society'.

All publications are available at www.amazon.de or from the publisher's web site www.artislife.de (free shipping and packaging to most destinations worldwide).

Tabbert, Thomas T.: Menschmaschinengötter. Künstliche Menschen in Literatur und Technik. Fallstudien einer Artifizialanthropologie.
(Zugl. Diss. Univ. Stuttgart) Hamburg 2004, 732 pages, 110 Illustrations.
ISBN 3-00-014038-7
ISBN 978-3-00-014038-9
(Currently available only in German)

Tabbert, Thomas T.: Verschmolzen mit der absoluten Realitätsmaschine -
Oswald Wieners "Die Verbesserung von Mitteleuropa, Roman" (Artislife Great Contemporary Writers 4) Hamburg 2005, 190 pages, 14 Illustrations.
Mit einem Interview mit Oswald Wiener/Including an interview with Oswald Wiener.
ISBN 3-938378-08-5
ISBN 978-3-938378-08-3
(Currently only available in German)

Tabbert, Thomas T.
Künstliche Menschen in Romanen William Gibsons.
Avatare - Künstliche Intelligenzen - Telematische Kyborge - Virtuelle Idole.
(Artislife Great Contemporary Writers 6) Hamburg 2008, 220 pages, 19 Illustrations.
ISBN 3-938378-44-1
ISBN 978-3-938378-44-1
(Currently available only in German)

Tabbert, Thomas T.
Avatare als virtuelle Idole
Entwicklungspotentiale des crossmedialen Marketings von Stars
in einer Erlebnis-Gesellschaft
(Media-Minds 1) Hamburg 2009
ISBN 3-938378-48-4
(Currently available only in German)

Thomas T. Tabbert:
"Entwicklungspotenziale virtueller Stars in einer Erlebnisgesellschaft" in:

Selke, Stefan/Dittler, Ulrich (Hrsg.):
Postmediale Wirklichkeiten -
wie Zukunftsmedien die Gesellschaft verändern.
(Reihe "Telepolis")
Hannover: Heise 2009, S. 93-114.
ISBN 978-3-936931-63-1
(available in German only)

Abstract:
Possible future business applications of virtual characters as virtual stars are outlined with reference to the sociological model of an "experience society" which analyzes today's consumers' needs and expectations within a general sociological framework. By applying this model to digital media for the first time, an overview of possible crossmedia applications of virtual characters for generating profits is given, including a short historical survey of virtual stars and their former applications. Finally, possible future applications are recommended connecting virtual characters to haptic interfaces.
Keywords: Aidoru, artificial humans, avatars, bodytainment, crossmedia marketing, experience society, haptic interfaces, human-machine interaction, idoru, morph, morphing, virtual characters, virtual environments, virtual idols, virtual stars.

Tabbert, Thomas T.:
"On Non-human Personhood" in:

Erwägen - Wissen - Ethik / Deliberation - Knowledge - Ethics
Jahrgang 20 / Heft 2, 2009
Stuttgart: Lucius & Lucius

Tabbert, Thomas T.
Obsessions of Passion - A Short History of Fuck Machines
Fiction and Reality in Charles Bukowski's "Fuck Machine"
Translated by Anja Franke
(Artislife Great Contemporary Writers 2)
112 pp., 42 Illustrations
E-book ISBN 978-3-938378-71-7 Euro 12,99

In this analysis Charles Bukowski's short story "Fuck Machine" is reinterpreted as an ironic statement on the secret and more often than not well-hidden sexual drives that fuel contemporary consumers' culture. Kicking off with an "what if"-scenario this book checks on the reality of today's reality by comparing the fuck machines described in Bukowski's text with actual fuck machines available for personal pleasure and entertainment - an exploration without prejudice into the "reality behind reality" that discloses the secret passions and obsessions of everyday life.

Abstract:
Charles Bukowski's short story "Fuck Machine" (1972) is interpreted as an ironical as well as critical statement on contemporary western society and some of its mainly sexually motivated drives. Popular commercially available fuck machines are compared to the fuck machines described in Bukowski's text. Different forms of sexual obsessions are concluded from the functions, specifications, and actual use of these fuck machines since structures and functions of fuck machines are regarded as answers to sexual demands. Finally, the sexual obsessions described in Bukowski's short story are compared to sexual obsessions in western popular culture as expressed in actual fuck machines. Although Bukowski's "Fuck Machine" refers to the 1970s and the decades before, many of the obsessions of passion portrayed in Bukowski's story meanwhile seem to have "materialised" as fuck machines and become increasingly widespread. Thus, Bukowski's explicit criticism of society, especially of its materialistic, "objectifying" attitude, its monism and sexual obsessions still holds for today's western society and many other "consumerist" societies. According to this analysis, Bukowski's text also points out that realistic lifelike artificial humans must include full machine autonomy in terms of machine consciousness, emotions, sexuality and free will in addition to a lifelike body.
Keywords: Artificial humans, criticism of society, fuck machines, haptic interfaces, human-machine interaction, love dolls, man-machine-interfaces, sexual obsessions, cybersex, surrogate partners, technosexual, virtual sex.

Tabbert, Thomas T.
Obsessions of Passion - A Short History of Fuck Machines
Fiction and Reality in Charles Bukowski's "Fuck Machine"
Translated by Anja Franke
(Artislife Great Contemporary Writers 2)
112pp., 42 Illustrations
ISBN 3-00-014763-2
ISBN 978-3-938378-70-0 Euro 26,90

Tabbert, Thomas T.:
Medientheorie für Informatiker.
Eine studienbegleitende Einführung.
ISBN 3-938378-18-2

An English translation of this book will be available by the end of 2010:

Tabbert, Thomas T.
Essential media theory for application.
An introduction for students of computer science and digital media.

Also forthcoming:

Tabbert, Thomas T.:
Artificialanthropology.
An Introduction to the Science of Artificial Humans.
ISBN 3-938378-13-1

Contact:

info@artificialanthropology.org

Institut für Artifizialanthropologie
Postfach 74 06 72
D - 22096 Hamburg
Germany

Director: Dr. Thomas T. Tabbert
thomas@artificialanthropology.org

Office: Ellen Schindler
ellen@artificialanthropology.org