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THE REPRESENTATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN THE WORKS OF
TOHIR MALIK
Hamdamova Shamshoda Saidakhmad kizi
PhD Candidate,
Tashkent State University of Uzbek Language and Literature
Email: shamshoda1996@gmail.com
Abstract:
This article explores the conceptual portrayal of artificial intelligence (AI) in the
fantastic works of Uzbek writer Tohir Malik. While Malik wrote during a period when the term
"AI" was not widely popularized in Central Asian literature, his fiction presents forward-
looking philosophical reflections on machine consciousness, ethical dilemmas of technology,
and the blurring of human–machine boundaries. By analyzing select stories, this study reveals
how Malik used speculative elements to predict the rise of intelligent systems, emphasizing
their potential impact on identity, morality, and society.
Keywords
: Tohir Malik, artificial intelligence, Uzbek literature, speculative fiction, ethics,
machine consciousness, futuristic narrative.
Introduction
Artificial intelligence is a defining theme of 21st-century science and culture, yet its conceptual
roots stretch back to earlier speculative fiction. In Uzbek literature, Tohir Malik emerges as one
of the few authors who indirectly anticipated AI-related issues through allegorical and symbolic
writing.
Although Malik did not explicitly use the term "artificial intelligence," several of his stories
feature themes that align with modern AI discourse—intelligent machines, human-like
programs, loss of emotional connection due to technological over-dependence, and questions of
ethical control over created intelligence. In works like
Charxpalak
(The Ferris Wheel),
Ko‘zgu
(The Mirror), and
Tungi mehmon
(The Night Guest), Malik examines characters’ interactions
with entities that possess autonomous logic, predictive ability, or non-human intelligence.
This paper analyzes the philosophical and literary dimensions of these portrayals and argues
that Malik’s speculative imagination anticipates the fundamental dilemmas of today’s AI ethics
and metaphysics.
Methods
To analyze AI representation in Tohir Malik's fiction, the following methods were employed:
1.
Textual Analysis
– Close reading of selected stories to identify traits associated with AI
or synthetic cognition.
2.
Comparative Approach
– Paralleling Malik's fictional technologies with contemporary
AI concepts (machine learning, robotics, sentience).
3.
Philosophical Interpretation
– Exploring existential and ethical themes related to
human-machine boundaries.
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4.
Symbolic Reading
– Interpreting allegorical representations of machines and non-
human intelligence in cultural and spiritual contexts.
Results
1. The Machine as a Mirror of Humanity (
Ko‘zgu
)
In this story, a character confronts a mysterious mirror-like device that reflects not only
physical form but inner consciousness. The mirror anticipates modern AI’s capacity for
psychological profiling and predictive behavior analysis. Malik uses the object as a metaphor
for surveillance and loss of privacy—core themes in AI ethics.
2. Predictive Systems in
Charxpalak
The narrative features a symbolic structure that manipulates time and memory. The protagonist
becomes trapped in a repetitive cycle controlled by an unseen system—suggesting deterministic
algorithms akin to AI decision-making systems. Malik subtly critiques the mechanization of
choice and the erosion of free will.
3. Emotionless Intelligence in
Tungi Mehmon
An uninvited visitor, possibly extraterrestrial or mechanical, disrupts the protagonist’s
worldview. The being’s lack of emotion and logic-based reasoning foreshadows debates about
empathy and affective computing in AI.
Story Title
Implied AI Concept
Literary Device
Ethical/Philosophical Issue
Ko‘zgu
Predictive cognition
Symbolic mirror
Self-awareness, identity
Charxpalak
Algorithmic determinism
Temporal loop
Free will, system control
Tungi mehmon
Emotionless reasoning agent Allegorical character Empathy, humanity vs logic
Discussion
Tohir Malik’s speculative fiction operates in a unique philosophical register—blending Central
Asian spiritualism with global futurism. His narratives do not describe robots or computers in
the conventional sci-fi sense, yet they raise critical questions:
Can intelligence exist without emotion?
What are the consequences of systems that know us better than we know ourselves?
Does technological progress mean spiritual regression?
These questions anticipate today’s discourse on AI ethics, surveillance capitalism, and digital
consciousness. Malik's approach suggests a cultural skepticism toward soulless intelligence—
emphasizing the primacy of spiritual and moral awareness over mere computational capacity.
Conclusion
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Although Tohir Malik did not live in the AI age, his fiction resonates strongly with modern
technological anxieties. His works reveal a visionary understanding of the human condition in
an era dominated by intelligent systems. Malik’s narratives highlight the tension between
reason and empathy, control and freedom, technology and tradition.
By presenting AI as a metaphor rather than a machine, he offers a literary framework through
which readers can critically assess the ethical boundaries of emerging technologies. His stories
remain a rich source for rethinking the human role in a world increasingly governed by artificial
logic.
References
1.
Malik, T.
Ko‘zgu
. – Tashkent: 1996.
2.
Malik, T.
Charxpalak
. – Tashkent: Sharq, 1999.
3.
Malik, T.
Tungi mehmon
. – In:
Fantastik hikoyalar to‘plami
, 1997.
4.
Bostrom, N. (2014).
Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies
. – Oxford University
Press.
5.
Russell, S., & Norvig, P. (2016).
Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach
. – Pearson.
6.
Schuurman, E. (2003).
Faith and Technology: A Christian View of the Techno World
. –
Dordt College Press.
7.
Saidov, A. (2022). “O‘zbek adabiyotida texnologik metafora.”
Yangi asr adabiyoti
, 2(1),
55–63.
