The text outlines the current discourse on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in general and embodied AI—humanoids, robots, and human-like machines—in particular, thereby contextualizing the contributions of the volume Imaginationen Künstlicher Menschen (Imaginations of Artificial Humans). Three key theses are formulated. First, the text argues that the concept of the "artificial human" is an oxymoron. Second, it identifies a belatedness in understanding and regulating AI. Third, it addresses the complexity of representing AI technologies and the role of fictional narratives in contemporary novels, films, and series as Deckbild (screen image). The humanities and arts are assigned the critical task of understanding these disruptive developments to enable a socially responsible engagement with them.