Christopher Marlowe, the author of Doctor Faustus, never lived to see his play published or performed. He was murdered after a dispute over a bill spiraled out of control, ending in a fatal stab to the eye. He would never see how Doctor Faustus would live on for centuries. In a modern sense, we too may never fully grasp the long-term consequences of today’s technologies—AI included, for better or worse.

This social contract we are signing between artificial intelligence and the human race is changing life rapidly. And while we can guess where it takes us, we aren’t entirely sure. Instead, we can look to the past to find truth.

Take the COVID-19 pandemic, for example. As rumors of shutdowns began to swirl, I found myself reaching for Albert Camus’ The Plague. Long before we knew what was coming, Camus had already offered a striking portrait of the very world we were about to enter: lockdowns, political division, and uncertain governments.

Just as Camus captured the psychological toll of unseen forces, Marlowe explores the cost of human ambition when we seek control over the uncontrollable. Why did Faustus give up his soul? Why did he cling to his pact, even as doubt crept in? And what did he gain, briefly, in exchange for something eternal?

In Marlowe’s tragedy, we find a reflection of our own choices as we navigate the promises and perils of AI. — Read More