Is AI a Frankenstein, And What About Those Driverless Cars

Dr. Lance B. Eliot, AI Insider

Frankenstein was the doctor that made the monster, so who was the monster

Mankind creates a monster.

Monster runs amok and kills.

Mankind is threatened or overtaken.

This is a typical plot found in popular movies such as Terminator and The Matrix. We see over and again science fiction stories that warn us about overstepping human bounds. We are repeatedly warned that we might someday bring about our own destruction. Scary. Worrisome. Could it happen? We don’t know, but it sure seems like a possibility.

Another similar story is celebrated its bicentennial last year. In 1818, Mary Shelley brought us the now famous and perhaps infamous “Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus.” You might recall from your school days that Prometheus exists in Greek mythology and was credited with creating mankind from clay, and defied the gods by giving humanity fire and for which provided progress for civilization to take hold. In Mary Shelley’s tale, Victor Frankenstein is a character that creates a “monster” — which inadvertently became to be known as “Frankenstein” though in fact the Frankenstein name belongs to Victor.

Frankenstein as a story and a theme has become a pervasive aspect in our contemporary culture. Besides being standard reading required for most school children…