The Evolution of Artificial Intelligence in the Light of William Golding’s ‘Lord of the Flies
Cover: The pig’s head covered in flies in “Lord of the Flies,” by William Golding, is a powerful symbol of the savagery that emerges from the characters on the deserted island. It represents the degradation of humanity in the absence of norms and civilization, personifying the primitive instincts and moral decay of the boys. The flies surrounding it emphasize corruption and the downward spiral as they abandon rationality. Furthermore, the pig’s head symbolizes the evil present in every human being, serving as a haunting reminder that evil resides within all of us. From the 1990 film “Lord of the Flies
“Perhaps there is a beast… perhaps it’s only us.”
“We did everything the adults would do. What went wrong?”
“I believe man suffers from a terrible ignorance of his own nature. I present my vision in the hope that it may be something close to the truth.”
― William Golding, Lord of the Flies ―
Maurício Veloso Brant Pinheiro
Introduction
I have always sought a way to disconnect a bit from science and technology, which are my primary passions but can sometimes become tedious when we are saturated, tired, and blocked due to a lack of inspiration (it takes courage to admit that this happens in our academic environment). As an escape valve, among other hobbies, I immerse myself in reading classics of literature and history. More recently, I have allowed myself to be captivated by mid-century English classics, mainly American but also English. It’s as if I surrender to the stories, immersed in the profiles and settings of the novels, only to later reorganize my ideas and return with vigor to the world of equations, atomic physics, the laboratory, and technical literature. This balance truly benefits me and, from a practical point of view, functions like an efficient and self-regenerating algorithm in my daily life, allowing me to explore humanities and literature while my subconscious prepares itself to take a step forward again in science, mathematics, and technology, and in teaching these subjects (my primary professional role).
More specifically, each classic novel transports me to a new dimension of thought, where ideas blend in unexpected ways, enriching both my appreciation of literary art and my capacity for scientific analysis. Most importantly, it allows me to make connections that would otherwise go unnoticed or be swiftly forgotten in daily life. The synergy between these two passions is what drives my journey of intellectual growth, encouraging me to continue seeking new literary experiences and pushing the boundaries of knowledge in my field.
After being captivated by the depths of J.D. Salinger’s “The Catcher in the Rye” and the richness of Harper Lee’s message in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” I felt an irresistible desire to venture into another literary masterpiece: William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies.” This journey through the classics has been incredibly enriching yet challenging, as each work offers a unique perspective and leads us to a profound exploration of human nature.
Sharing my reflections in the form of essays here has been rewarding, and it is important to mention the valuable assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI) through Large Language Models (LLM), like ChatGPT, which have helped me organize my ideas about books and facilitated the editing process, as well as assisted me in finding surprising connections between seemingly distinct themes at first glance.
By publishing these essays, my goal, besides learning and solidifying ideas, is to share with other literature enthusiasts the discoveries I have made while exploring these great masterpieces. Furthermore, I have demonstrated the power of AI in producing texts with quality and relevance, as well as drawing parallels between these classics and the technological revolution we are experiencing. With “Lord of the Flies” by William Golding, a book so relevant in its social critique and reflection on human nature, I face yet another fascinating challenge, and I am excited to share my analyses and reflections with you, hoping that our discussions and interactions can further enrich this joint literary journey.
In this essay, we will embark on a fascinating exploration, connecting the classic “Lord of the Flies,” written by William Golding, to the development of Artificial Intelligence. By comparing the human nature portrayed in the work with the advancement of AI, we will analyze themes such as leadership, ethics, the ambition for power, and the resulting social impact. Additionally, we will emphasize the vital importance of social connection and proper supervision (or lack thereof), which play fundamental roles in both narratives. Highlighting the ethical challenges that the evolution of AI inevitably brings to the forefront, we will reiterate the significance of these reflections from various perspectives, as there is never too much to explore.
Lord of the Flies
Lord of the Flies,” written by William Golding and published in 1954, is a true literary classic that tells the story of a group of British children who become stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash during a war.
Without adult supervision, the children face challenges to survive and organize themselves but end up falling into conflicts and power struggles. This story shows us the most primitive and savage sides of human nature, raising ethical questions about human behavior and the limits of civilization.
It is a powerful work that makes us reflect on the role of leadership, ethics, and responsibility in the face of crucial adversities, and it somehow exposes the complex Friendship-Enmity by Sir Arthur Keith. In his “A New Theory of Human Evolution” (1948), he stated that humans evolved as different races, tribes, and cultures, demonstrating patriotism, morality, leadership, and nationalism. Those considered part of the in-group are tolerated and protected, while all others are classified as out-group and subjected to hostility:
“The code of enmity is a necessary part of the mechanism of evolution. One who is generous to his enemy… forfeits his place in the turmoil of evolutionary competition.”
Case studies reveal how the Friendship-Enmity complex has manifested in various historical and social situations. In the United States, racial segregation imposed by Jim Crow laws represented a “vast experiment” that affected ten million African Americans, isolating them from the rest of the population with well-defined and guarded borders like the borders of a kingdom. In South Africa, apartheid reflected the white “dominance” rooted in the primitive organization of the human brain, with the belief in an insurmountable border between white settlers and the native races of Africa and Asia. Still within the ethnic context, the example of Jews in Europe demonstrates how the Jewish community maintained a racial border, behaving distinctly separate from dominant races, with a strong connection through faith that strengthened their identity.
The caste system in India and the dhimmi status imposed on non-Muslims under Islamic law are also examples of this complex in different social contexts. Other cases mentioned by Peter Corning (American scientist born in 1935) include conflicts between Shia and Sunni, Catholics and Protestants, the American Civil War, and World War I, all essentially revealing nothing more than the influence of tribal instincts. The Friendship-Enmity complex is fundamental to the cohesion and unity of communities as long as personal contact among their members is possible. However, when a community grows beyond this capacity, ruptures, swarms, and disintegration occur. It is not known until when modern mass communication will allow large-scale communities to remain intact. Social media algorithms reinforce polarization and enmity between antagonistic bubbles and are already generating extremely disruptive effects on our society, challenging democracy and freedom.
Desmond Morris, English zoologist and ethologist (born in 1969) as well as a popular author in human sociobiology with his work “The Naked Ape: A Zoologist’s Study of the Human Animal” (1967), argues that we need to distance ourselves from our groups and observe human conflicts impartially. He warns that truly violent species tend to go extinct, and aggression inherited from rivalry between communities is rationalized by ideologies, moral principles, social philosophies, or religious beliefs. After World War II, there was a debate about the role of instinct and learning in human formation, and prevailing theories were reformulated to combat racism and sexism.
Steven Pinker (Canadian psychologist and linguist, born in 1954, and based at Harvard) emphasized that conflicts of interest are inherent to the human condition, and man and other living beings follow their instincts as designed by evolution, even if it leads to tragic outcomes in certain aspects. The Friendship-Enmity complex represents a serious challenge for world peace and global governance and could even lead to catastrophic consequences like a nuclear holocaust. The advancement of the Doomsday Clock to 23:58:30 due to the conflict in Ukraine serves as evidence of this.
Robert Ardrey introduced a simple formula for the Friendship-Enmity complex in his classic work “The Territorial Imperative” (1966). In this theory, Ardrey posits the existence of a component called Hazzard, which represents the external danger to a community. According to the formula proposed by Ardrey, the cohesion of social groups (represented by A, amity) is influenced by the sum of enmity (E, emity) with external danger (h, hazard), meaning A = E + h. This idea suggests that in situations of great danger or external threat (with h being significant), the bonds of friendship and cooperation among the members of the group (A) tend to remain strong, aiming for collective protection and survival, leading to a decrease in enmity between internal groups within the community (E).
This perspective is particularly relevant when analyzing the work “Lord of the Flies,” as we encounter a narrative involving a group of young individuals in their formative years, who find themselves stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. This scenario of isolation and lack of adult supervision creates a peculiar and challenging environment in which the characters are forced to forge their own society. Initially, the paradise-like island, with abundant food, no adults, and lots of fun, minimizes h. However, as time passes, this inevitably leads to an increase in E and the division of the community into two distinct groups led by Ralph and Jack. Neglecting to keep the signal fire lit in favor of beach fun or hunting becomes one of the triggers of this division.
The characters, young and still in their formative years, from each of the two “tribes,” struggle to find a balance between their tendencies of cooperation and friendship (A) and the presence of growing external threats and hostile challenges (h) such as the “beast.” While Jack’s group consolidates (E decreases), Ralph’s group slowly dissolves. The danger represented by the increasing struggle for survival prevents a sense of friendship and cooperation from firmly establishing itself and a reintegration of the two groups from occurring, inevitably leading to a return to barbarism by the stronger group.
This absence of a defined A within the original group, combined with the characters’ inexperience in dealing with social complexity, makes the narrative of “Lord of the Flies” even more intense and thought-provoking.
Finally, it is also interesting to extend our reflection to the context of modern reality shows, such as “Big Brother” and “Naked and Afraid.” These television programs offer a fascinating view of human dynamics when confronted with extreme challenges and situations of social isolation. Just like the characters in Golding’s book, the participants in these shows are taken out of their usual environment and placed in scenarios where they need to fight for survival, form alliances, and face moral and ethical dilemmas.
The exposure of human nature under pressure, the pursuit of power, and the need for social connection can be observed both in “Lord of the Flies” and in these television productions, raising questions about how artificial intelligence can play a role in shaping such experiences and to what extent this technology can influence human behavior in extreme situations. As we embark on an increasingly technological future, it is essential to reflect on how to ensure that AI is applied responsibly, respecting ethics and human dignity, even in entertainment contexts and reality shows that may attract audiences seeking extreme sensations. The interaction between human nature and the new frontiers of artificial intelligence challenges us to ponder the directions we want to take as a society, ensuring that technology is used for the benefit and enhancement of humanity without compromising our essence and core values.
And AI?
As we move towards an increasingly digital and technological era, artificial intelligence (AI) emerges as a crucial component of this transformation. The rapid pace of research and developments in the field has resulted in highly sophisticated machine learning algorithms capable of making decisions and learning from vast amounts of data. However, this evolution of AI is not without ethical challenges and social dilemmas related to the interaction between humans and machines. These complexities parallel aspects explored in the book “Lord of the Flies,” which addresses profound themes about human nature, leadership, ethics, the thirst for power, and the constant evolution of technology.
In the plot of “Lord of the Flies,” the story powerfully illustrates the inherent duality of human nature when there is no supervision or social structures to serve as guides. As the plot unfolds, the children initially depicted as innocent beings reveal their most primitive instincts, resulting in conflicts and discord that disrupt the group’s harmony. Similarly, AI can demonstrate morally ambiguous behavior, such as training biases and biased human filters, raising ethical questions about responsibility and the need for robust governance.
Establishing ethical policies for the development and use of AI is essential to ensure that it contributes positively to society, avoiding perpetuating inequalities and harming minority groups. Likewise, the pursuit of power in AI leads us to reflect on its ethical implications, especially when it involves competition among powerful actors. In this sense, considering global governance becomes imperative as a preventive measure against potential risks associated with technological supremacy.
Furthermore, “Lord of the Flies” emphasizes the importance of genuine social connection in an increasingly interconnected world. As AI advances, it is essential to balance technological progress with the preservation of fundamental human values and authentic social bonds. Maintaining real and meaningful interaction between individuals is vital to facing external challenges and seizing the opportunities provided by technological advancement.
By examining the literary work from this perspective, we can gain a deeper understanding of human nature, ethical challenges, and the inherent complexities of technological development in the age of artificial intelligence. Making responsible, transparent, and fair decisions is essential to ensure that AI benefits everyone and contributes to collective well-being. Through open and collaborative dialogue, we can build a society that fully harnesses the potential of artificial intelligence, ensuring that this technology becomes a powerful instrument for the advancement and progress of humanity.
More about the author: https://william-golding.co.uk/
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