The Age of Uncanny Humanhood

In recent months, I’ve found myself scrolling through Instagram, pausing when encountering two familiar faces: John Travolta’s and Carla Bruni’s. Yet, they seemed off – a subtle hint of cosmetic enhancements that set my mind racing with unease. It was as if I were gazing upon people who had become approximations of themselves.

The concept of the “uncanny valley” has been around since Japanese robotics professor Masahiro Mori first described it in 1970. He noted that humanoid robots designed to mimic humans often evoke discomfort, rather than comfort, in those who interact with them. But what happens when this eerie sensation begins to creep into our encounters with fellow humans?

The uncanny valley can be attributed to various factors – the blurring of lines between human and machine, perhaps, or our innate tendency to categorize things as either fully human or not at all. Yet, in an era where AI has become ubiquitous, it’s no longer just about robots that unsettle us; it’s about our own minds.

As prices for cosmetic procedures tumble and the number of interventions rises, many are opting for surgical enhancements not to “correct” nature’s imperfections but to conform to an idealized standard. Joseph de Weck notes that this trend speaks to a deeper issue: humans aspiring to resemble products rather than people is no longer science fiction.

The Mind as Product

Anders’ prediction goes beyond our physical appearance; it speaks to a trend where we’re beginning to question the functioning of our minds. With AI’s relentless march towards perfection, it’s natural that we feel inadequate by comparison – moody, heat-sensitive, and prone to mistakes. This phenomenon is not limited to individual experiences.

The Max Planck Institute for Human Development conducted a 2025 study on language usage, finding a striking correlation between the release of ChatGPT and an increase in words associated with AI’s preferred vocabulary being used by humans in their spoken language. The results suggest that as AI improves, we’re more likely to perceive our minds as defective.

A Culture of Self-Alienation

We’re witnessing a self-reinforcing cycle: the better AI gets, the more we perceive our minds as defective. In response, we seek to emulate technology – talk like it, sing like it, and even behave like it. The uncanny valley is no longer just about robots; it’s about our interactions with fellow humans who are increasingly approximating machines.

This isn’t a gradual evolution but an exponential one. As AI advances, we’re entering a world where the line between human and machine becomes increasingly blurred – and with it, the sense of unease that accompanies us everywhere now.

Cultivating Uncanny

Rather than striving for seamless integration into this hybrid grey space, perhaps it’s time to cultivate our unease. Recognizing our own self-alienation is a crucial first step towards resisting it. As long as something within us – that crooked timber of humanity – recoils from the world we’re creating, there is hope.

The uncanny valley sensation may be uncomfortable, but it’s also a necessary reminder that we are not machines. It’s time to acknowledge our own fallibility and imperfection – and in doing so, reclaim our humanity amidst an era of technological excellence.