Contemporary discourse on Artificial Intelligence often touts technological advancement as a move towards perfection, positing that Artificial Intelligence would be the key to perfecting human fallibility. On the other hand, discourse surrounding AI also has its fair share of cynicism and fear. This paper shall explore the theme of machine perfection in contrast to human imperfection as portrayed in the novel Machines Like Me (2019) by Ian McEwan. The paper shall explore and critique how moral ambiguity, emotional contradictions and the capacity for error in human beings are distinctive traits of human identity and locate how McEwan’s narrative challenges the notion of progress and technological utopianism by reframing imperfection as a defining trait of humanity’s strength.