Wintermute: The Silent Killer in 'Neuromancer' Allison Cofta College

Empathy, happiness, guilt: all are feelings that human beings are capable of that distinguish humans from objects or robots. But in William Gibson's’ “Neuromancer”, his readers are introduced to a futuristic world where the distinction between reality and artificial reality become blurred. This is a realm where artificial intelligence(AI) beings exist, but are not constricted by flesh and a conscience, the way humans are.

Gibson’s decision of “Wintermute”, as the name of the primary AI, makes a case of how Wintermute is the epitome of both the peak of scientific development and the pitfalls of moving away from a purely human world. Wintermute encompasses substantial power, even being able to manipulate the real world to accomplish its goals, yet with great power, comes great responsibility: something that an apathetic artificial intelligence system doesn’t take into consideration. To fully analyze Gibson’s intentions of naming the AI “Wintermute”, it is necessary to first evaluate the meanings of “winter” and “mute” separately. Winter is considered the coldest season of the year, with connotations of being cold, harsh, and sometimes dangerous (OED). These traits are evident in Wintermute, who is easily able to kill others, even...