We all know the story of Frankenstein. A scientist obsessed with discovering the secrets of life collects the fragments of dead people and (with the help of lightning and, in movie adaptations, a giant lever) breathes life into his morbid creation. The events that unfold in the story touch on very human themes, resulting in the downfall of the creator and his creation.
It’s a story that will never get old. The story, published anonymously in 1818 by 19-year-old Mary Shelley, seems to resonate with all generations.
The story captivated Guillermo del Toro, and his Frankenstein remake is currently at the top of Netflix’s streaming charts, with over 29.1 million views in its first three days. For del Toro, it was the realization of a dream more than 20 years in the making. With an unmistakable style shaped by his difficult childhood and fascination with the monstrous and grotesque, del Toro brings this new adaptation to our screens to critical acclaim.
A warning about human ambition and the unintended consequences of creating things beyond our control.
It joins a long series of film versions, and Mary Shelley’s novel has remained in print for over 200 years. Its enduring power lies in its warning about human ambition and the unintended consequences of creating things beyond our control.
These themes seem especially relevant today. It’s been almost three years since ChatGPT was made publicly available, and the growth in AI has been impressive. It speeds up tasks that once took hours, generates creative content like images and music, and is expanding into areas such as medical diagnostics and self-driving cars.
AI has been widely accepted and is quickly becoming commonplace in the workplace, often without people even realizing it (if you search on Google, you’re using AI).
Unlike God, we cannot predict or fully know the outcome of what we create.
But when humans begin to assume the role of creator, we face the same challenge as Victor Frankenstein. Unlike God, we cannot predict or fully know the outcome of what we create.
The unpredictable nature of AI, with its rapid and self-improving learning ability, is raising concerns. Some believe that we are only five years away from AGI (artificial general intelligence), machines with at least as much intelligence as humans.
Nor can we control how people use AI. “Algorithms are already undermining people’s ability to make decisions, enjoy serendipity, and develop critical thinking,” says Neil Eisikowitz of the University of Massachusetts. This is evidenced by recent interesting cases of individuals forming close bonds with their AI peers, including a Japanese woman who “married” an AI character she created through ChatGPT. There are also troubling examples of people being harmed by following AI advice, such as the recent tragic case of 16-year-old Adam Lane.
Relationships involve compromise, challenge, and mutual growth.
Relationships involve compromise, challenge, and mutual growth. In contrast, AI algorithms tend to provide continuous affirmation.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another,” and AI interactions function like the warning in 2 Timothy 4:3 that people are searching for a voice that tells them just what their “itchy ears” want to hear.
After all, what could be easier than entering your thoughts into a computer that won’t judge you and will always affirm your ideas, even if it might lead you down a dark path?
This desire for control, comfort, and affirmation directly influences the broader transhumanist vision. Transhumanists (Elon Musk is a big supporter) believe the future lies in fusing AI with biotechnology, cryogenic storage, and bionics to completely overcome human biology. It’s the pursuit of the so-called “superman,” a modern-day Frankenstein’s monster.
The problem of death is not a problem to be solved because God has already solved it.
Much of transhumanism is rooted in the fear of death, the pursuit of “cures” for aging and the pursuit of technological immortality, the idea that by downloading life forms to the cloud we can somehow live forever. But as the theologian and bioethicist John Lennox kindly explains, the problem of death is not a problem to be solved. Because when Jesus rose from the dead, God had already solved it.
If transhumanists believe that they can become like God by trusting in technology, then Christianity is the answer they are really looking for. God became human in Jesus, and by trusting in Jesus we become children of God.
Should we be afraid as regulators struggle to regulate what they can’t control and decision-making appears to be in the hands of deranged billionaires?
Although transhumanism poses serious problems, technology has led to remarkable advances in medicine. For example, in October, scientists restored the vision of macular degeneration patients by implanting tiny chips in the back of their eyes.
What we urgently need is a strong ethical framework.
Therefore, its direction need not be defined by misuse or ambition. What we urgently need is a strong ethical framework to guide its development. It is based on a true understanding of what it means to be human.
So what can Christians gain from all this? How should we respond? As always, it’s about giving hope to a world searching for meaning. God has already approved of us humans and has become human. Human biology is not a problem to be solved, nor is it something that AI can solve so that we can live forever. Human biology is a life of living and returning to the one true Creator.
Originally published by Being Human. Republished with permission.
Heather Carruthers is a project co-coordinator for the Evangelical Alliance’s Being Human initiative.
The Evangelical Alliance of England is made up of hundreds of organizations, thousands of churches and tens of thousands of individuals united for the Gospel. Representing our members since 1846, the Evangelical Union is Britain’s oldest and largest evangelical unity movement. United in mission and voice, we exist to serve and strengthen the work of the Church in our communities and society at large. Emphasizing the important opportunities and challenges facing the church today, we work together to support Christians to act on their faith in Jesus and to speak out for the gospel, justice, and freedom in their areas of influence.
