We all know the story of Frankenstein: a scientist obsessed with discovering the secret of life puts together bits of dead people and (with the help of lightning and, usually in film adaptations, a huge lever) brings his morbid creation to life. The unfolding events in the story – resulting in the downfall of the creator and the creation – touch on deeply human themes.
It is a story that seems to never age. Published anonymously in 1818 by the then 19-year-old Mary Shelley, its narrative appears to resonate with every generation.
The story captivated Guillermo del Toro, whose current remake of Frankenstein is currently topping Netflix’s streaming charts with over 29.1 million views in its first three days on the platform. For del Toro it was the fulfilment of a 20+ year old dream of his. In his unmistakable style – shaped by his challenging childhood and a fascination with the monstrous and grotesque – del Toro brings this new adaptation to our screens, receiving critical acclaim. It joins a long line of film versions, and Mary Shelley’s novel has remained in print for over 200 years. Its enduring power lies in its warnings about human ambition and the unforeseen consequences of creating something that we can’t control.
Those themes seem particularly relevant today. It’s been almost three years since ChatGPT was released to the public, and AI’s growth has been dramatic. It now speeds up tasks that once took hours and generates creative content such as images and music, while also advancing into areas like medical diagnostics and self-driving cars. AI has become widely accepted, often without people realising it (if you Google it, you use AI), and it’s quickly becoming a routine companion in the workplace.
But as humans have taken on the role of the creator, we face the same conundrum as Victor Frankenstein: unlike God, we cannot foresee or fully grasp the consequences of what we make. AI’s rapid and self-improving learning abilities give it an unpredictable quality, and there is a growing unease about that – some people believe we are only five years away from AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) – machines at least as intelligent as human beings.
Some people believe we are only five years away from AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) – machines at least as intelligent as human beings.
We also cannot control how people choose to use AI. As Nir Eisikovits of the University of Massachusetts notes, “Algorithms are already undermining people’s capacity to make judgments, enjoy serendipitous encounters and hone critical thinking.” This is evident in some recent curious cases of individuals forming intimate bonds with AI companions, including a Japanese woman who “married” an AI character she created through ChatGPT. There have also been troubling examples of people being harmed by following the advice of AI, as in the recent tragic case of 16-year-old Adam Raine.
Human relationships involve compromise, challenge and mutual growth; an AI’s algorithm, by contrast, tends to offer constant affirmation. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another”, but AI interactions function more like the warning in 2 Timothy 4:3, where people seek out voices that tell them only what their “itching ears” want to hear. After all, what’s easier than typing your thoughts into a computer that doesn’t judge you and constantly affirms your ideas, even if they might lead you down a dark path?
AI interactions function more like the warning in 2 Timothy 4:3, where people seek out voices that tell them only what their “itching ears” want to hear.
This desire for control, comfort and affirmation feeds directly into the broader ‘transhumanist’ vision. Transhumanists (Elon Musk being a big advocate) believe that the future lies in merging AI with biotechnology, cryogenic preservation and bionics in an attempt to overcome human biology altogether. It is the pursuit of “superhumans”, modern-day Frankenstein’s monsters.
So much of transhumanism is rooted in the fear of death – the pursuit of a ‘cure’ for aging and achieving a form of technological immortality, the idea that we could somehow live forever by ‘downloading our lifeform to the cloud’. But as theologian and bioethicist John Lennox so helpfully explains, the problem of death is not a problem to solve, because God already solved it when Jesus rose from the dead. If transhumanists believe they will become like gods through trusting in technology, Christianity is the answer they are truly looking for: God became a human being in Jesus and through trusting Him we get to become children of God.
The problem of death is not a problem to solve, because God already solved it when Jesus rose from the dead.
Should we be afraid as regulators struggle to regulate on something they can’t control, and decisions seem to be left in the hands of mad billionaires?
While transhumanism raises serious questions, technology has driven remarkable advances in medical science. In October, for example, scientists restored sight to patients with macular degeneration by implanting a tiny chip at the back of the eye. Its direction therefore need not be defined by misuse or unchecked ambition. What we urgently need is a strong ethical framework – one grounded in a true understanding of what it means to be human – to guide its development.
So what can Christians take from all of this? What should our response be? It is, as it always has been, to offer hope to a world searching for meaning. God has already approved of us humans – He became one. Human biology is not a problem to solve, or something that AI can ‘fix’ so we can live forever, it is a life to be lived and then to return home to the one, true Creator.