We are still grappling with the trauma of nuclear attacks and the existential threat posed by atomic power and now we need to power new, uncontrollable intelligences. In the our growing system of societal anxieties, AI, much like nuclear power in the mid-20th century, embodies a transformative force that holds promise but also presents existential risks. Nuclear technology, symbolized through the metaphor of Godzilla, encapsulated fears about humanity’s inability to control the dangerous forces it unleashed. Similarly, AI carries the fear of runaway technology: a creation that, once set loose, could evolve beyond human control or understanding.

AI as a Modern Parallel to Nuclear Power

Just as nuclear power spurred an arms race and reshaped geopolitical dynamics, AI's rapid advancement has sparked concerns about its potential for societal disruption, mass surveillance, economic upheaval, and autonomous weaponry. Through this lens, AI represents the latest chapter in a recurring cultural myth: the development of technologies that may ultimately outpace humanity’s capacity to manage them responsibly.

Godzilla films often present a moral framework where human arrogance leads to creation (or unleashing) of an uncontrollable monster, followed by societal reflection and a quest for redemption. This cycle symbolizes the societal structure of accountability, consequences, and resilience in postwar Japan. Godzilla, as a cultural critique, points to the dangers of unchecked scientific ambition and serves as a cautionary allegory for the era’s power structures that risk human lives in the name of advancement.

Godzilla encapsulates the dual nature of atomic energy: as a source of near-limitless power and an existential threat. Through the character of Godzilla and the implied narrative of nuclear explosions, Japan articulates its ambivalence toward nuclear technology and its awareness of the political power dynamics that shaped its postwar experience.

Godzilla is not merely a monster but a manifestation of Japan’s grappling with the trauma of nuclear attacks and the existential threat posed by atomic power. His colossal, destructive presence symbolizes both the immediate physical annihilation caused by nuclear explosions and the ongoing reverberations of nuclear contamination and fear. Godzilla becomes a structural node within a larger cultural narrative, embodying collective trauma and a society's attempt to comprehend forces beyond its control.

Cultural Myth of Technology as Savior and Destroyer

Nuclear explosions are themselves powerful symbols that operate within a dual framework: they represent technological progress and supreme destructive power. For postwar Japan, they are also reminders of vulnerability, both in terms of the physical destruction experienced and the psychological scars they left on the national psyche. Nuclear explosions are signifiers with multiple meanings, each interconnected with Japan's political and social history.

In the context of the Godzilla films, nuclear explosions are not just backdrops but integral components that catalyze the monster’s existence. They symbolize humanity’s meddling with forces it cannot control—a theme deeply rooted in postwar anxiety about nuclear weapons and energy. By linking nuclear explosions directly to the creation of Godzilla, the films suggest a cause-and-effect relationship that frames atomic power as a Pandora’s box, one that humanity opens at its peril.

Looking at cultural phenomena like myths reveals the underlying structures and shared values of a society. In Gojira, the myth is not merely about a giant monster terrorizing a city; it’s a cautionary tale about the consequences of tampering with nuclear power. Godzilla and the nuclear explosions are interdependent symbols within this myth, a pair of interconnected signifiers that reinforce each other’s meanings.

Through Godzilla, the story of nuclear explosions is reinterpreted as a perpetual cycle of violence and horror, suggesting that the aftereffects of Hiroshima and Nagasaki are not just historical events but ongoing cultural traumas. Godzilla’s indestructibility mirrors the persistence of nuclear anxiety; his unstoppable force reflects the seeming permanence of nuclear threats in the collective psyche.

The Threat of the “Unleashed Creation”

Godzilla as a "creation gone rogue" aligns with the concept of AI as an entity that might escape human oversight. Godzilla was born from atomic testing, symbolizing the dangers of meddling with forces we do not fully understand. AI similarly embodies the fear that we could create an intelligence that operates according to its own logic and potentially beyond our ethical or practical reach.

AI also holds the potential to manifest the unintended consequences of human hubris, particularly in its hypothetical ability to evolve independently and make decisions misaligned with human values. This concern aligns with the narrative structure present in Godzilla’s origins—where humanity is both the creator and potential victim of its own innovation. The rise of AI rekindles these themes, suggesting that society’s control over its creations is always limited and fragile.

AI, too, occupies this dual space in our cultural psyche, embodying both the utopian and dystopian potential of human ingenuity. While AI promises to revolutionize fields from medicine to education, it simultaneously poses risks such as job displacement, data privacy violations, and moral dilemmas over human and machine agency.

This duality mirrors the cultural myth seen in Godzilla films, where destruction ultimately paves the way for reflection, growth, and resilience. In AI, we witness similar paradoxes: it can enhance human capabilities, yet it could also exacerbate inequalities or create uncontrollable, autonomous systems. As with nuclear power, AI requires society to navigate unprecedented ethical and existential questions, often without the structural frameworks to do so confidently.

The Structure of Accountability and Ethical Responsibility

The structuralist critique of Godzilla narratives often revolves around a moral imperative—an underlying lesson on the need for accountability when handling power. Nuclear power and AI both challenge humanity to use its knowledge ethically and with foresight. Godzilla’s destructive nature warns against hubris and negligence, reinforcing a societal narrative about the dangers of exploiting forces we cannot fully control. Similarly, AI raises ethical questions about the responsibility of creators, from software developers to policymakers, in shaping the future of artificial intelligence with caution.

AI’s rapid development, like nuclear advancements before it, calls for frameworks of regulation and accountability to mitigate harm and prevent abuses. This need for ethical boundaries and proactive governance reflects the same narrative arc present in Godzilla: a cautionary tale urging humanity to respect the inherent power and risks of its own inventions.

The rise of AI is, in many ways, a reiteration of the Godzilla myth: a reflection of society’s anxiety about whether it can control the powerful, often unpredictable forces it creates. Through this lens, AI becomes the latest symbol of a recurring cultural narrative—a reminder that humanity’s technological creations are both its greatest strengths and its greatest vulnerabilities.

AI, particularly machine learning and deep learning, requires enormous computational power, especially in the training and operation of large models. Data centers that run AI models and store vast datasets consume vast amounts of energy. Nuclear power, with its capacity to provide large-scale, consistent energy, could be a solution to this growing demand. Unlike fossil fuels, nuclear energy provides a steady output without carbon emissions, making it a relatively clean option for powering AI-driven industries.