Artificial Intelligence In Flowers For Algernon

“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge, but imagination,”(Einstein). Most people do not realize grades do not measure intelligence and age does not define maturity. The short story, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes, is about a thirty-seven year old man named Charlie Gordon. He is a mentally disabled man who has an IQ of 68. As the subject of an experiment in human engineering, Charlie earns artificial intelligence that triples his IQ to 200; but this action came with more costs than benefits. To start off, everyone wants to have all of the friends they can. In the story, Charlie earns his intelligence, but he makes a point of saying, “This intelligence has driven a wedge between me and all the people I once knew and loved.”

Charlie gains intelligence like he always wanted, but only to have it be taken away in a time frame of a couple months. Charlie states that, “The hypothesis here proven may be described simply in the following terms: artificially increased intelligence deteriorates at a rate almost proportional to the quantity of the increase.” With realizing the cost of the surgery, he states, “Now that it’s definite, I don’t want it to happen.” Charlie experienced emotions such as anger, sadness, and even love with his intelligence. Now all this will be taken away; like taking away a favorite toy from a child. Lastly, nobody wants to die. After Charlie experienced all of these fascinating things, it will all be taken away not only by progressive amnesia, but by death, the worst cost from his adventure. Algernon the mouse died because of the surgery, and Charlie will soon come to the same fate. Charlie states, “I’ve got to try to hold on to some of it. Some of the things I’ve learned. Oh, God, please don’t take it all away.” He also says, “It’s hard to throw off thoughts of suicide.” Charlie will soon get the worst punishment there is just because he wanted to be smarter and have more