Today we share the third of six pieces of public writing selected for publication from an assignment in ENGL 801 “Graduate Studies in English”: a piece of public scholarship (700-1,000 words) which tailors an academic paper and its scholarly intervention of 10-12 pages for a general-interest audience.
Read more about the assignment and the first publication, “Men, Monsters, and Maidens: Gender in Dracula” by Amber McAfee (MA ’26), in the post from December 5, and the second publication, “Journaling on Mars: The Pen is Mightier Than the Planet” by Jeffery Jones (MA ’26), in the post from December 10. Now, on to “It’s Alive” by Juan Maldonado (MA ’26) —
— Karin Westman, Professor and Department Head / Instructor for ENGL 801 B/ZA (Fall 2024)
Frankenstein is alive and well in the modern world.
Mary Shelley was ahead of her time when she warned about the dangers of unnurtured scientific developments. Sure, she might have been referring to replicating a human at the time, but her lessons carry on to something we are dealing with today: artificial intelligence.
For the sake of this writing piece, I asked Google Gemini to give me a summary on Frankenstein and how it is linked to AI today. Here is a snippet of our conversation:
Me: Can you tell me about Frankenstein by Mary Shelley? And link it to AI today.
Google Gemini: Frankenstein: A Timeless Tale of Creation and Its Consequences
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus is a gothic novel that delves into the profound ethical implications of scientific pursuit. The story centers around Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist who, driven by ambition, creates a sentient being from disparate body parts. This creature, initially full of hope and longing for connection, is rejected by society due to its grotesque appearance. The ensuing tragedy highlights the dangers of unchecked scientific advancement and the importance of considering the moral ramifications of one’s creations.
The AI Connection
The parallels between Frankenstein’s creation and the development of AI are striking.
Both involve the artificial creation of life-like entities, albeit in vastly different forms. As AI becomes increasingly sophisticated, concerns about its potential impact on society are growing. Some worry that AI could surpass human intelligence, leading to unforeseen consequences. Others are concerned about the ethical implications of creating AI with consciousness or sentience.
I was fascinated by the response from Gemini. For one, the response was spot on and matched some of the research I had come up with. The main difference was that it took me way longer to formulate my ideas and find the research. Gemini also has a more advanced vocabulary than I do, which is concerning. It seemed like the only advantage I had over her was that I was bilingual, so surely my language skills were better, at least in Spanish. But again, I was surprised when I asked Gemini about her Spanish. It was at this point that I decided it was a “she” – mainly because it felt like Gemini was a proper name for a lady and she was becoming more human by the second:
Me: Hablas español?
Gemini: ¡Absolutamente! Hablo español y puedo ayudarte con una variedad de tareas. ¿En qué puedo ayudarte hoy?
Again, Gemini left me stumped. It was impressive, but at the same time terrifying. She was sharp, and she was answering questions that not even some humans could answer in that amount of time. Many people struggle to accept AI like Gemini because, in their opinion, this creation can replace humans. For example, Gemini can answer complicated questions, provide excellent resources, and even give assistance for writing assignments. What is to say that some of these things do not replace teachers soon? With a lot of classes being taught online, this could be an easy alternative.
Now, Gemini does lack some human capabilities and feelings. For example, Gemini lacks empathy and compassion, but is that necessary for some of the things that we can use her for? And what is stopping us from upgrading these systems and allowing them to reason with other humans? In my opinion, we will never be replaced completely by these machines but we will become more dependent on things like Gemini, and that is concerning for the future, especially if we do not nurture this creation and set some ethical guidelines, so we avoid another Frankenstein-like scenario.
Since I was already having a great conversation with Gemini, I went ahead and asked her what she thought of the idea of AI becoming too advanced:
Me: Should humans be concerned with the development of artificial intelligence?
Gemini: Yes, humans should be concerned about the development of artificial intelligence, but not in a way that breeds fear or paranoia. Instead, this concern should be channeled into proactive steps to ensure that AI is developed and used responsibly.
Even though she was honest with me, she did not understand the irony in the whole situation, so that is a good sign (only we can understand the irony). I was asking AI about AI, and she gave me another great answer, but one that lacked the self-awareness we associate with being human.
Just like we learned from the novel Frankenstein, we must be responsible for our creations, and we must be transparent with each new development. I did not include Gemini’s full response where she explained the main problems that can arise from AI. One of the things she mentioned was that a potential risk is that this machine can become too intelligent, which could then become an existential threat to humanity. This part really made me consider if it was ethical at all to continue to work with this type of program, but then I go back to the piece of advice that she offered me: instead, we should be proactive and use these tools ethically and responsibly.
Works Cited
“Can you tell me about Frankenstein by Mary Shelley? And link it to AI today.” Follow-up prompt to list sources. Google Gemini, 22 Nov. 2024, https://gemini.google.com/app
Image of Frankenstein+AI. “AI: Frankenstein’s monster or the key to a brighter future?” FuturePrint, 22 Nov. 2024, https://www.futureprint.tech/the-futureprint-blog/ai-frankensteins-monster-or-the-key-to-a-brighter-future
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein (Norton Critical Editions). W. W. Norton, 2021.
— Juan Maldonado (MA ’26)
K-State English 
3 thoughts on “It’s Alive”