Fahrenheit 451 Technology Essay

Artificial Intelligence: Our Future or Our Destruction

In “Fahrenheit 451,” Ray Bradbury depicts a society in which artificial intelligence has taken over and left humans emotionless and incapable of functioning without their technology. Throughout the novel Guy Montag, one of the main characters, fights against a society that wants him to conform to the lifestyle controlled by technology. Bradbury illustrates how our society could become similar to that in “Fahrenheit 451” if we go forward with the innovation of artificial intelligence. Even though “Fahrenheit 451” was written in 1951, Bradbury’s concerns about the innovation of AI, shown in his novel, are still valid concerns among scientist and thinkers today. The development of AI, if not slowed down, can become a significant threat to humanity. Humans, as of now, are the smartest

If AI continues to be developed, it has the potential to become one of those uncontrollable factors. Scientists have no way of knowing for sure what these machines are capable of, as long as the machines appear to be doing what they were made to do, anything extra could go undetected. Stephen Hawking, a theoretical physicist, states AI, “would take off on its own, and redesign itself at an ever increasing rate.” Even if monitored very carefully, AI still has the ability to spiral out of control.

While many such as Hawking, Bilton, and Musk don’t support the development of AI, other scientist argue that it can have great benefits to society. They believe that it will help humans complete tasks faster and more efficiently. They argue that the benefits society will reap from the development of artificial intelligence is greater than the chance that something could go immensely wrong. While they make a compelling argument, they fail to see the big picture. Computers will “learn to do better the task they have been given” says Stephen F. Deangelis, a writer for