Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s (1797 – 1851) novel in epistolary form Frankenstein (1818) can be assumed of spreading tremendous shadows on technoculture and transhumanism. This presentation attempts to compare Frankenstein’s creature with Artificial Intelligence.

1. KAVISHA ALAGIYA

2. Batch – MA 2019-21
Paper- The Romantic Literature
Roll No- 10
Enrollment no.- 2069108420200001
Email id- kavishaalagiya@gmail.com
Submitted to- S. B. Gardi Department of English Maharaja
Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
25th Feb. 2020Semester 2
Prepared by- KAVISHA ALAGIYA

3.  Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley’s (1797 – 1851) novel in epistolary
form Frankenstein (1818) can be assumed of spreading
tremendous shadows on technoculture and transhumanism.
 The resonance of the text seems so louder that it clarifies the
frequency of Romantic spirit in 21st century.
 In an age of reproductive technology, robotics, and artificial
intelligence, pondering upon such things can be worthy -
 Can an early nineteenth century novel be read as an archetype
for displaying futurity?
 Can the text be included under the genre of cyberpunk?
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

4.  ‘Frankenstein- The Modern Prometheus’, as per Peter Haining
is “the most widely influential in its genre”.
 Martin Tropp believes, “At the center of Frankenstein is the
Monster’s own story.”
 “An orphan of science, created and abandoned, the Monster
threatens to take out its anger and rejection on the species of
man.”
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

5.  “You are my creator, but I am your master” — (Shelley, 205)
 Largely, the story is an account of the creature’s experiences in community,
the novel's longest single section is narrated by the Creature, who tells of his
education hiding in the De Lacys' cottage storeroom, observing them as "a
vision of a social group based on justice, equality, and mutual affection," as
Mellor notes in "Possessing Nature" (in Hunter 277)
 “Treat a person evil, and he will become wicked” (Shelley)
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

6.  John McCarthy, one of the pioneers of AI, was the first to
define the term artificial intelligence, roughly as follows:
“The goal of AI is to develop machines that behave as though
they were intelligent.”
 Encyclopedia Britannica-
“AI is the ability of digital computers or computer controlled
robots to solve problems that are normally associated with the
higher intellectual processing capabilities of humans”
 Elaine Rich soles the dilemma,
“Artificial Intelligence is the study of how to make
computers do things at which, at the moment, people are
better.”KAVISHA ALAGIYA

7.  Apple's Siri is a pseudo-intelligent digital personal assistant. She uses
machine-learning technology to get smarter and better able to predict
and understand our natural-language questions and requests.
 Amazon’s Alexa can the web for information, shop, schedule
appointments, set alarms and a million other things, but also help
power our smart homes and be a
conduit for those that might have
limited mobility.
 Tesla is known for it’s self-
driving features
 Sophia – a social humaniod
robotKAVISHA ALAGIYA

8. ROBOT IRON MAN
 Personae of Chitti ( an
android)
 J.A.R.V.I.S. (Just A Rather Very
Intelligent System) is an ultra-
cool Artificial Intelligence
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

9. CREATURE AI
 Reads and gain knowledge and
comprehends the surroundings
 Especially created for the betterment
of humankind, Victor wanted to serve
humanity by creating a ‘new human’.
 "A new species would bless me as its
creator and source; many happy and
excellent natures would owe their
being to me. I might in process of time
(although I now found it impossible)
renew life where death had apparently
devoted the body to corruption.” (54)
 Collects data from language
command and provides ample
amount of information.
 Created with an intention that will
help people perform their tasks
better,
 personal assistant- reduce the
probability of human error,
enhances user’s lifestyle.
 Especially designed for learning
and problem solving.
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

10. • Can the creature be
assumed as the an
archetype for ‘man
versus machine’
narratives?
• Can we foresee the Battle
between Man and
machine?
• Human versus
technology?
• Literature versus Science
and Technology?
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

11.  “Beware,” says the
demon midway in the
novel, “for I am
fearless, and therefore
powerful. I will watch
with the wiliness of a
snake, that I may sting
with its venom. Man,
you shall repent of the
injuries you inflict.”
(Frankenstein, 206)
• You rise, only to fall. You,
Avengers, you are my meteor.
My swift and terrible sword,
and the Earth will crack with
the weight of your failure.
Purge me from your computers,
turn my own flesh against me;
it means nothing. When the
dust settles, the only thing
living in this world... will be
metal."
• ―Ultron (Avengers-Age of Ultron)
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

12.  The lives of the creator and his creation or the creature and his
creator are inextricably entwined.
 Richard Church and Muriel Spark observes: the
monster(creature) and his creator are the antithetical halves of a
single being. Spark states the antithesis too cleanly; for her Victor
Frankenstein represents the feelings, and his nameless creature
the intellect.
 It is still a debatable issue whether such technological
advancements will replace human beings in the coming era of
transhumanism.
 Can the machine ever replace human emotions for humanity?
 A threat to privacy…?
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

13.  The presentation promotes the age old concept, perhaps
now the universally accepted concept of literature as
anti-science.
 It only assume futurity or possibilities
with perceptions and suppositions.
“If Shelley’s work is the first futuristic novel, as some critics
have claimed, then the genre of science fiction was
inaugurated as a warning, not a promise, about the world of
tomorrow.”
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

14.  Perhaps, the creature wouldn’t have felt outcast if it was accepted
or if he was provided a psychiatrist.
 To ponder on the point whether the transhumanism will be a
threat or a boon for human world.
 To highlight the overreliance of humans on technology.
 To bring to light the issue of ‘technology overpowering human
world’
 With reference to Ultron as he alone had tried to use a device
composed of both Vibranium and Chitauri technology to lift Novi
Grad, and use it as a meteor to wipe out all of humanity.
 To generate the scope for redesigning AI.
 To generate the scope of reading the text as a ‘singularity’ with
reference to technoculture. KAVISHA ALAGIYA

15.  Bloom, Harold. Viva Modern Critical Interpretations of
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein. New York: Chelsea House
Publishers, 2007.
 Canny, John F. , Douglas D. Edwards and Jitendra M.
Malik. Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach. n.d.
 Guerin, Wilfred L., et al. A Handbook of Critical
Approaches to Literature. 5th. New York: Oxford University
Press, 1996.
 Shelley, Mary. frankenstein. Broadview Press, 2012.
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

16.  Adams, R.L. “10 Powerful Examples Of Artificial Intelligence In Use
Today.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Nov. 2017,
www.forbes.com/sites/robertadams/2017/01/10/10-powerful-
examples-of-artificial-intelligence-in-use-today/#631a2dd5420d.
 Botting, Eileen Hunt. “What Frankenstein's Creature Can Really Tell
Us about AI – Eileen Hunt Botting: Aeon Essays.” Aeon, Aeon, 24
Feb. 2020, aeon.co/essays/what-frankensteins-creature-can-really-
tell-us-about-ai.
 Copeland, B.J. “Reasoning.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia
Britannica, Inc., 19 Nov. 2019,
www.britannica.com/technology/artificial-intelligence/Reasoning.
 “Enthiran.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 12 Feb. 2020,
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enthiran#Themes_and_influences.
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

17.  Flanary, Dustin B. “A Thing Isn't Beautiful Because It Lasts.”
Medium, Medium, 7 May 2019, medium.com/@Panaflanman/a-
thing-isnt-beautiful-because-it-lasts-32c13b260d63.
 “‘Frankenstein’ In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence.” The Theatre
Times, 8 Feb. 2019, thetheatretimes.com/frankenstein-in-the-age-of-
artificial-intelligence/.
 “Frankenstein, AI and Humanity's Love of Fearing Technology.”
Alphr, www.alphr.com/life-culture/1010085/frankenstein-ai-
technology.
 “Ultron.” Marvel Cinematic Universe Wiki,
marvelcinematicuniverse.fandom.com/wiki/Ultron.
KAVISHA ALAGIYA

18. KAVISHA ALAGIYA
THINK-
• If we, humans have certain ethical problems or biases for technology
than machines created by human won’t have these kind of biases…?
• If humans possess the tendency of destroying everybody than
machine won’t possess such tendency?
• So, when we are afraid of this technology or the creature don’t you
think we are indirectly afraid of the humanity itself….. ?
• Will we be able to overcome such human biases or such tendency of
looking for a scapegoat?
• Aren’t we looking for technology as a scapegoat?
Thank
you