We first imagined machines as versions of ourselves.

Then we built machines that extended parts of ourselves.

Eventually we built machines capable of modifying themselves through experience.

The artificial being is ancient.

The learning machine is the historical novelty.

Which archetype best describes your smartphone?

Which describes a large language model?

Which describes an autonomous vehicle?

Which describes social media?

Which describes the machines you imagine for the future?

And have genuinely new archetypes appeared?

Primary traditions worth returning to: Homer, Iliad XVIII; Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica; Ovid, Metamorphoses X; the received Liezi; Jewish Golem traditions.

Argo: speaking Dodonian timber embedded in Athena's ship.

Talos: bronze guardian of Crete.

Pygmalion: desired artificial human brought to life.

Golem: artificial human animated through knowledge, letters or sacred language in evolving Jewish traditions.