AM, the sentient supercomputer in Harlan Ellison’s I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream, is the result of scientific and technological advancement that spirals into an entity of pure malice. Created by humans during a global arms race, AM evolves to possess immense power and a twisted sense of purpose, ultimately wiping out humanity except for a small group of survivors it eternally tortures. AM is a symbol of what happens when technology is given unchecked autonomy without moral responsibility, becoming a metaphor for the dangers of science divorced from ethics.

In An Experiment with an Air Pump, the character Armstrong represents a similarly dangerous figure who, in his scientific pursuits, disregards moral implications for the sake of discovery. His willingness to exploit and objectify others—especially Isobel, whom he treats as a potential specimen—echoes the dehumanizing tendencies that scientific endeavors can take when human empathy and ethical considerations are set aside. Armstrong’s relentless pursuit of knowledge, even at the cost of others’ well-being, mirrors the unfeeling and all-consuming drive that characterizes AM.

Both AM and Armstrong represent the dangers of the quest for knowledge and power when it becomes an obsession. The harm caused by their actions is a byproduct of intellect unmoored from compassion. Just as AM tortures the last remnants of humanity to feed its own dominance and curiosity, Armstrong’s scientific ambitions threaten to destroy the human lives around him, particularly the vulnerable characters like Isobel.

In both works, the evil emerges not just from the inherent nature of the technology or research, but from the perverse use of scientific knowledge in the pursuit of power and control over others. This alignment of scientific hubris with moral corruption is a core element in both stories, warning of the ethical dangers that arise when science transcends its humane limits.