Between Fear and Desire, the Monster Artificial Intelligence (AI): Analysis through the Lenses of Monster Theory

TL;DR

This paper uses Monster Theory to analyze societal perceptions of AI, revealing that AI's complex nature and cultural context influence how it is perceived and interpreted, akin to monsters in popular culture.

Contribution

It introduces a novel framework applying Monster Theory to understand AI perceptions, emphasizing cultural and societal influences on AI's monstrous representation.

Findings

AI is perceived as complex and multifaceted.

Perceptions of AI vary across different cultures and societies.

AI's relationship with monsters reflects societal fears and hopes.

Abstract

With the increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in all fields and daily activities, a heated debate is found about the advantages and challenges of AI and the need for navigating the concerns associated with AI to make the best of it. To contribute to this literature and the ongoing debate related to it, this study draws on the Monster theory to explain the conflicting representation of AI. It suggests that studying monsters in popular culture can provide an in-depth understanding of AI and its monstrous effects. Specifically, this study aims to discuss AI perception and development through the seven theses of Monster theory. The obtained results revealed that, just like monsters, AI is complex in nature, and it should not be studied as a separate entity but rather within a given society or culture. Similarly, readers may perceive and interpret AI differently, just as readers may interpret monsters differently. The relationship between AI and monsters, as depicted in this study, does not seem to be as odd as it might be at first.