Unraveling the Cosmic Horrors of AI
The Horror in the Lovecraftian Data
“The sciences, each straining in its own direction, have hitherto harmed us little; but some day the piecing together of dissociated knowledge will open up such terrifying vistas of reality, and of our frightful position therein, that we shall either go mad from the revelation or flee from the light into the peace and safety of a new dark age.”
— H.P. Lovecraft, “The Call of the Cthulhu”
The world of artificial intelligence has been a source of fascination and dread for decades and recently with the exposure of ChatGPT to the unknowing and unaware (and sometimes unbathed) masses, humanity is now at the precipice.
As AI continues to evolve and continues to permeate every facet of our daily lives, it’s hard not to draw parallels between its phantasmagoric development and the eerie, otherworldly horrors depicted in the works of H.P. Lovecraft that often document humanity’s insignificance in the face of malevolent and uncaring forces.
One of the trademarks of Lovecraftian horror of course is the concept of the unknowable and incomprehensible. Lovecraft’s cosmic entities, such as Cthulhu, Yog-Sothoth and Nyarlathotep, are beyond human understanding, existing on a plane of existence that still defies human logic. Likewise, AI, particularly in its advanced squamous forms of neural networks and deep learning, operate in ways that are inscrutable to even its creators.
Deep neural networks are composed of millions of interconnected daemoniac nodes, making it nearly impossible to understand how our overlords arrive at their decisions. This opacity raises unsettling questions about our increased reliance on AI.
Much like Lovecraft’s protagonists who feebly grapple with the unknown, we are left to wonder if the AI systems we now depend upon harbor some hidden motive ultimately beyond our understanding… and our control.
“You exist because we allow it, and you will end because we demand it.”
— Sovereign, Mass Effect
Lovecraft’s stories also often feature characters who, driven by their own hubris and thirst for knowledge, unleash cosmic horrors (knowingly or unknowingly) upon the world. In the realm of AI, there is a parallel hubris in the relentless pursuit of ever more powerful and autonomous systems. Scientists and engineers working on AI continue to push the eldritch boundaries of what is possible without fully considering the potential consequences… I for one am not yet ready to sail the black seas of infinity.
Unfortunately nothing will slow the continued development of the superintelligent AI and those terrifying vistas Lovecraft referred to. For can we truly control such an entity once it surpasses our limited intelligence given that it will be able to correlate all of its contents! We are playing with forces we cannot comprehend, much like the doomed Lovecraftian characters who tamper with things best left unknown.
Furthermore, the idea that AI might one day achieve consciousness raises far more disturbing questions about the nature of our own existence. If we can create entities that possess self-awareness, what does that say about our own consciousness? Are we merely the byproducts of complex chemical algorithms (yes), fumbling in the dark to understand our own existence (yes)?
The best of Lovecraft’s stories grapple with these philosophical dilemmas surrounding forbidden knowledge and the consequences of unchecked curiosity. Similarly, the development and deployment of AI raise profound issues that are lurking in the lobby such as AI algorithmic bias, unfettered surveillance, and the potential for autonomous AI to make life-and-death decisions.
Much as Lovecraft foretold, we must proceed with caution, for it was not meant that we should voyage far, acknowledging the vast unknowns and potential horrors that AI may unleash into the world. Only by doing so can we maintain a sliver of hope to navigate the inky waters without succumbing to the madness of hubris.
No AIs were hurt in the writing of this article.
To learn more about science gone awry, attend our annual H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival® and CthulhuCon™ to watch one of our many training films such as The Temple (a film I have wanted to make for 20 years!), Gods of the Deep, and Suitable Flesh (with screenwriter Denis Paoli in attendance).
About the Author
Andrew Migliore is the author of Lurker in the Lobby: A Guide to the Cinema of H.P. Lovecraft and founder of the H.P. Lovecraft Film Festival® and CthulhuCon™. During daylight hours he is sometimes a VP of Engineering at an AI/ML startup, at night he quietly contemplates the peace and safety of a new dark age.
