Frankenstein Reimagined: The Perils of Unchecked Knowledge in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

rankenstein Reimagined: The Perils of Unchecked Knowledge in the Age of Artificial Intelligence explores how Mary Shelley’s timeless novel Frankenstein resonates in today’s world of advanced technology and AI. The presentation draws parallels between Victor Frankenstein’s reckless pursuit of creation and humanity’s modern quest to master artificial intelligence without moral boundaries. It highlights the ethical dilemmas, social consequences, and emotional isolation that arise when knowledge grows faster than responsibility. By reinterpreting Shelley’s warning for the digital era, this presentation invites reflection on the balance between innovation and ethics. Ultimately, it urges us to ask: have we become the new Frankensteins of the 21st century?

1. Prepared by -Bhargavi Barad
Frankenstein Reimagined: The Perils
of Unchecked Knowledge in the Age of
Artificial Intelligence

2. Academic Information
Name: Bhargavi Barad
Roll No.: 2
Semester: 1
Subject: Literature of the Romantics
Paper Code: 103
Batch: 2025–2027
Submitted To: Department of English,
Smt. S. B. Gardi College,
Maharaja Krishnakumarsinhji Bhavnagar University
Email: bhargavi [email protected]

3. Table of Contents
●Research Questions and Hypothesis
●Introduction of the Author
●Overview of Frankenstein
●Themes: Dangerous Pursuit of Knowledge
●Victor Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus
●Consequences of Unchecked Knowledge
●Contemporary Relevance: AI and Ethics
●Lessons and Implications for the Future
●When Creation Escapes Control
●Integrating Ethics, Science, and Society Toward Responsible Creation
● Conclusion
● References

4. Research Question & Hypothesis
●Research Question:
How does Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein explore the dangers of unchecked
knowledge, and how is this theme reflected in the ethical challenges of
Artificial Intelligence today?

●Hypothesis:
Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein warns that pursuing knowledge without
ethics leads to ruin a message that reflects today’s AI risks, where unchecked
innovation repeats Victor Frankenstein’s moral failure.

5. Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley (1797–1851)
Daughter of Mary Wollstonecraft and William Godwin
Wife of Romantic poet Percy Bysshe Shelley
Romantic novelist with Gothic style
Explored ambition, ethics, and consequences of knowledge
Blended imagination, emotion, and moral reflection
Famous Quotes:
1.“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”
Frankenstein

2.“Beware; for I am fearless, and therefore powerful.” Frankenstein

3.“Life, although it may only be an accumulation of anguish, is dear to me, and I will
defend it.” Frankenstein ((Shelley #)

6. Overview of Frankenstein
"
●Romanticism vs. Enlightenment: The novel champions emotion, nature, and the sublime as
necessary corrections to a cold, mechanistic science. Victor's quest represents the
dangerous ambition to dominate nature through reason alone, leading to his aesthetic and
moral desensitization.
●Scientific Context: Directly engaged with contemporary debates on galvanism (Luigi
Galvani) and vitalism. The novel interrogates the consequences of humanity usurping the
power of creation, moving beyond the question of scientific possibility to the ethical
ramifications.
●Philosophical Inheritance: Shelley's heritage as the daughter of political philosopher
William Godwin and feminist Mary Wollstonecraft informs the novel's deep concern for
social responsibility and the plight of the marginalized. The Creature's narrative is a
philosophical exploration of whether evil is innate or created by a neglectful society.
●Historical Catalyst ("The Year Without a Summer," 1816): The apocalyptic atmosphere
caused by a volcanic eruption forced Shelley's circle indoors in Geneva, creating a "gothic
laboratory" that directly inspired the novel's themes of confinement, unintended global
consequences, and creation turning against its creator.
A Romantic Critique of Scientific
Hubris

7. The Dangerous Pursuit of Knowledge
●Transgressive Ambition: Victor's quest symbolizes the peril of seeking
knowledge that violates natural and ethical boundaries, framed as a
destructive monomania.
●The Ethical Vacuum: The narrative demonstrates how divorcing
discovery from moral responsibility inevitably transforms creation into
destruction.
●Modern Parallels: This framework critically applies to AI development
and genetic engineering, where rapid innovation continues to outpace
ethical governance and oversight.
●Core Thesis: Shelley’s warning posits that knowledge without wisdom
and power without compassion generate catastrophic consequences for
both creator and society.

8. Consequences of Unchecked Knowledge
(David)
●Systemic Alienation: Victor's transgressive ambition systematically severs
his connection to family, society, and his own moral foundation,
demonstrating that unethical pursuit of knowledge inherently isolates the
creator.
●Creation as Nemesis: The Creature embodies the dual consequence of ethical
neglect both a victim of abandonment and an agent of retribution. This
illustrates how creations born from intellectual pride can become
autonomous sources of threat.
●Modern Manifestation: Contemporary Artificial Intelligence directly mirrors
this paradigm, where algorithms and learning systems, developed without
robust ethical frameworks, can produce unpredictable and socially
destructive outcomes.
●

9. Lessons and Implications for the Future
●Anticipatory Ethics: Forecast ethical and social impacts before
innovation.
●Interdisciplinary Governance: Collaboration among scientists,
policymakers, and ethicists.
●Wisdom vs. Knowledge: Balance technical skill with moral
responsibility.
●Creator’s Duty: Ensure ongoing accountability for creations.

●Core Principle: "Caution is the parent of safety." – This maxim must
underpin technological development, prioritizing rigorous ethical
safeguards over unchecked speed and disruption.

10. When Creation Escapes Control
●The Autonomy Paradox: Shelley’s Creature embodies the fundamental risk of creating intelligent beings that
develop agency beyond their creator's intent, mirroring the AI control problem in advanced machine learning
systems.
●Developmental Negligence: The Creature's tragic transformation from innocent to vengeful directly results from a
lack of ethical guidance and nurturing, paralleling how unconstrained AI training can lead to emergent harmful
behaviors.
●Modern Manifestation: Large Language Models (LLMs) and autonomous systems demonstrate this phenomenon
practically through:
○Generation of persuasive misinformation
○Amplification of societal biases
●The Ethical Imperative: The Creature's lament, "I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel,"
underscores the creator's responsibility to ensure positive development through:
○Robust ethical frameworks embedded in design
○Continuous monitoring and oversight protocols
●Fundamental Warning: The narrative demonstrates that technological creation without ongoing stewardship
inevitably leads to consequences that escape human control and comprehension.

11. Integrating Ethics, Science, and Society – Toward Responsible Creation

●Inherent Moral Responsibility: All acts of creation—biological or technological—carry profound and
inescapable social and ethical obligations for the creator.
●Proactive Governance Model: The Frankenstein paradigm demands shifting from reactive oversight to
anticipatory governance, establishing rigorous ethical standards before technological deployment.
●Interdisciplinary Imperative: Responsible innovation requires integrated collaboration across technical
fields, humanities, social sciences, and policy-making to assess societal impact comprehensively.
●Foresight as Ethical Practice: The novel demonstrates that systematic consideration of potential
consequences is not ancillary but fundamental to the creation process itself.
●Guiding Principle: "Caution is the parent of safety" must underpin technological development,
prioritizing human welfare over unchecked ambition and speed.
●Enduring Relevance: Frankenstein provides a vital ethical framework for ensuring 21st-century
innovation advances social good while preventing the alienation and harm that arise when knowledge
outpaces wisdom.

12. Conclusion
Frankenstein's Enduring Warning for the AI Age
●Timeless Core: A profound meditation on ambition, responsibility, and the
ethical limits of knowledge.
●Central Conflict: The desire to dominate nature, when unbalanced by
compassion, leads to isolation and ruin.
●Modern Translation: Technological progress in AI must be guided by empathy,
conscience, and social responsibility.
●Essential Clarification: The novel is not an attack on science itself, but a crucial
warning against its misuse and the neglect of its moral consequences.
"Frankenstein is not a story against science, but against the misuse of
science."

13. References

Banks, Jennifer. “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein Can Illuminate the Debate Over Generative AI.” Big
Think, 2 years ago, Big Think, https://bigthink.com/the-well/mary-shelley-lessons-frankenstein-ai/.

Greely, Henry T. “Frankenstein and Modern Bioscience: Which Story Should We Heed?”
Huntington Library Quarterly, vol. 83, no. 4, 2020, pp. 799–822. JSTOR,
https://www.jstor.org/stable/27096037. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

Ketterer, David. “The Editor’s Slant on ‘The Time Machine.’” Science Fiction Studies, vol.
25, no. 1, 1998, pp. 155–58. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/4240695. Accessed 10
Oct. 2025.

Tuomey, Christopher P. “The Moral Character of Mad Scientists: A Cultural Critique of
Science.” Science, Technology, & Human Values, vol. 17, no. 4, 1992, pp. 411–37. JSTOR,
http://www.jstor.org/stable/689735. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.

(Shelley #)