Essay On The Cost Of Knowledge In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

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The cost of knowledge, as shown in Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, is not worth the risk due to the monster killing his family, the unknown, and what the future has in store if humans continue to advance technologically.

Victor Frankenstein, renowned scientist was thirsty for knowledge and challenge, needing more in his life. He expanded his horizons, and tinkers at the borderline of human and God when he created his monster. Initially, Victor is thrilled in his discovery, but the second of reanimation Frankenstein exclaims, “No mortal could support the horror of that countenance. A mummy again endued with animation could not be so hideous as that wretch.” (60). His cost of knowledge propels him to create the uncreatable, which leads him
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If I were to guess like what our biggest existential threat is, it’s probably that. So we need to be very careful with the artificial intelligence.,” (Elon Musk, 2014). The themes presented in Shelley's 1818 novel are still present and in effect 200 years later. To prevent humankind from making the same fatal mistakes as Victor, Elon Musk warns humanity how to create, deal, and treat artificial intelligence because it is such a grave responsibility. Musk's warning relates to Victor’s creations into the unknown because all Victor thought about was how he was going to create the monster, not how to treat and nurture an infant being. A similar problem is emerging to date because scientists are playing God and creating fantastic miracles of science that act like humans. Society needs to learn from Victor and his mistakes and treat the artificial intelligence creatures with respect, not be appalled by them, and be aware of the potential Pandora's box they are opening. Such a lesson that we need to take away from Frankenstein’s struggles is that programmers need to take responsibility for their AI creations. Accountability is the antithesis of Victor because he refused to take the blame for the disasters the monster was

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