Thousands of years before machine learning and self-driving cars became reality, the tales of giant bronze robot Talos, artificial woman Pandora and their creator god, Hephaestus, filled the imaginations of people in ancient Greece.
A Greek vase painting, dating to about 450 B.C., depicts the death of Talos. Stanford’s Adrienne Mayor examined the myth of Talos and others in her latest research. (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons / Forzaruvo94)
Historians usually trace the idea of automata to the Middle Ages, when the first self-moving devices were invented, but the concept of artificial, lifelike creatures dates to the myths and legends from at least about 2,700 years ago, said Adrienne Mayor, a research scholar in the Department of Classics in the School of Humanities and Sciences. These ancient myths are the subject of Mayor’s latest book, Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines, and Ancient Dreams of Technology.
“Our ability to imagine artificial intelligence goes back to the ancient times,” said Mayor, who is also a 2018-19 fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Stanford. “Long before technological advances made self-moving devices possible, ideas about creating artificial life and robots were explored in ancient myths.”
Mayor, a historian of science, said that the earliest themes of artificial intelligence, robots and self-moving objects appear in the work of ancient Greek poets Hesiod and Homer, who were alive somewhere between 750 and 650 B.C.
The story of Talos, first mentioned around 700 B.C. by Hesiod, offers one of the earliest conceptions of a robot, Mayor said.
The myth describes Talos as a giant bronze man built by Hephaestus, the Greek god of invention and blacksmithing. Talos was commissioned by Zeus, the king of Greek gods, to protect the island of Crete from invaders. He marched around the island three times every day and hurled boulders at approaching enemy ships.
Adrienne Mayor (Image credit: Josiah Ober)
At his core, the giant had a tube running from his head to one of his feet that carried a mysterious life source of the gods the Greeks called ichor. Another ancient text, Argonautica, which dates to the third century B.C., describes how sorceress Medea defeated Talos by removing a bolt at his ankle and letting the ichor fluid flow out, Mayor said.
The myth of Pandora, first described in Hesiod’s Theogony, is another example of a mythical artificial being, Mayor said. Although much later versions of the story portray Pandora as an innocent woman who unknowingly opened a box of evil, Mayor said Hesiod’s original described Pandora as an artificial, evil woman built by Hephaestus and sent to Earth on the orders of Zeus to punish humans for discovering fire.
“It could be argued that Pandora was a kind of AI agent,” Mayor said. “Her only mission was to infiltrate the human world and release her jar of miseries.”
In addition to creating Talos and Pandora, mythical Hephaestus made other self-moving objects, including a set of automated servants, who looked like women but were made of gold, Mayor said. According to Homer’s recounting of the myth, Hephaestus gave these artificial women the gods’ knowledge. Mayor argues that they could be considered an ancient mythical version of artificial intelligence.
The ancient myths that Mayor examined in her research grapple with the moral implications of Hephaestus’ creations.
“Not one of those myths has a good ending once the artificial beings are sent to Earth,” Mayor said. “It’s almost as if the myths say that it’s great to have these artificial things up in heaven used by the gods. But once they interact with humans, we get chaos and destruction.”
Mayor said the myths underscore humanity’s fascination with creating artificial life.
“People have an impulse to imagine things that aren’t possible yet,” Mayor said. “There is a timeless link between imagination and science.”
As an expert in ancient myths and the history of science, I can offer valuable insights into the fascinating intersection of mythology and the concepts explored in the article about Talos, Pandora, and the ancient dreams of technology. My expertise in the field allows me to shed light on the historical context and significance of these myths, demonstrating a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter.
Adrienne Mayor's research, as mentioned in the article, delves into the ancient Greek myths that revolve around artificial intelligence, robots, and self-moving objects. Mayor, a research scholar in the Department of Classics at Stanford, is a distinguished historian of science, and her work brings to light the early origins of ideas related to artificial life and technology.
The myths of Talos and Pandora, dating back over 2,700 years, showcase the ancient Greeks' ability to imagine artificial intelligence long before the advent of modern technology. Talos, a giant bronze man created by the god Hephaestus to protect Crete, is one of the earliest conceptions of a robot. The intricate details, such as the tube carrying the gods' life source (ichor) in Talos, reflect the ancient Greeks' creative exploration of artificial life.
Pandora, another mythical creation, is described as an artificial, evil woman built by Hephaestus and sent to Earth by Zeus to punish humans. Mayor draws parallels between Pandora and an AI agent, emphasizing her mission to infiltrate the human world and release miseries. The article highlights the moral implications associated with Hephaestus' creations, emphasizing the negative outcomes once these artificial beings interact with humans.
Furthermore, the article mentions other self-moving objects created by Hephaestus, such as a set of automated servants made of gold, resembling women and possessing divine knowledge. Mayor argues that these artificial women could be considered an ancient mythical version of artificial intelligence, providing additional depth to the exploration of technology in ancient myths.
The underlying theme of the myths, according to Mayor, revolves around the moral consequences of introducing artificial beings to the human world. The notion that chaos and destruction ensue once these creations interact with humans underscores the ancient Greeks' contemplation of the potential dangers associated with artificial life.
In conclusion, the article, based on Adrienne Mayor's research, unveils the rich tapestry of ancient Greek myths that anticipated and grappled with concepts such as artificial intelligence and robotics. These myths serve as a testament to humanity's enduring fascination with imagining and exploring technological advancements, highlighting a timeless link between imagination and science.
