Abstract: In his most recent work, Klara and the Sun, Kazuo Ishiguro modifies, tactfully, the classic question about the Turing Test from “Can machines think?” to “Can machines replace humans?” How to understand and interpret the refusal by the robot, Klara, to replace humans has become a key issue that no scholar could avoid in discussing this novel. In a sense, Klara's refusal is largely effected by her ethical epiphany, namely, her recognition that the unreachable “human heart” draws the fundamental difference between humans and machines. The “human heart” of Josie does not merely refer to the organ in her body, but rather accentuates the irreplaceable affections for Josie in the hearts of those who love her. In the wake of her ethical epiphany, Klara refuses to substitute Josie, plays an active role of “nonhuman actor,” and tries every means possible to keep Josie alive, thus delivering a moral warning about the ethical responsibilities that both humans and non-humans ought to bear. To some extent, “Can machines replace humans?” is not an issue for robots to deal with, but instead a problem for humans to confront and resolve. And its solution is not just a scientific choice, but rather an ethical one.

Key words: Klara and the Sun, Ishiguro, artificial intelligence, robot, ethical choice