WHAT IF: An Imagined Interview with Mary Shelley on AI and Creation

The Italian art and culture magazine Collater.al presents a speculative interview with Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein, in which she reflects on contemporary artificial intelligence. The interview, part of the 'WHAT IF' series, imagines Shelley's responses to questions about AI, responsibility, and creation. Shelley, who wrote Frankenstein at eighteen, discusses how her novel is not about a monster but about a father who abandons his creation. She draws parallels between Victor Frankenstein's abandonment and the way modern tech companies and users distance themselves from AI systems. She criticizes the training of AI on all human writing, including the worst, and warns that AI reflects human flaws. She addresses the loneliness of her creature, comparing it to modern digital companionship that imitates but never truly connects. She also discusses the role of suffering in creation, noting that her own work was born from grief, and that machines, which never fail, lack the essential human element of beautiful failure. The interview is accompanied by references to film adaptations of Frankenstein by James Whale (1931), Mel Brooks (1974), and Guillermo del Toro (2025). The piece also includes links to other Collater.al articles on topics such as street artist Aryz, Westwing x Crosby Studios, and a rave in Seoul. This interview serves as a philosophical commentary on AI ethics, drawing on a classic literary work to question contemporary technological practices.