[Kim Daesik & Kim Hyeyeon's AHA] 'Human Kim Taeyong' and 'AI Kim Taeyong' Talk About Movies

① Director Kim Tae-yong's 'Turing Test'

"Human emotion remains key"
Discussing AI film production limits
Not 'Human Kim Tae-yong' but 'AI Kim Tae-yong'

Editor's NoteAsia Economy has decided to explore, from the perspectives of engineers and artists, what changes the rapidly advancing generative AI will bring to the field of artistic creation and what 'humans' should contemplate. Accordingly, we have prepared a monthly corner where Professor Kim Dae-sik of KAIST's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and choreographer Kim Hye-yeon (CEO of Yeonist) either have conversations with artists or discuss works. The title 'AHA' in the corner stands for 'AI, Human & Art'. Through Professor Kim Dae-sik, who passionately explores the future of generative AI, and choreographer Kim Hye-yeon, who boldly integrates generative AI with dance, we hope you take a step closer to the profound themes of AI, humans, and art.

The background behind director Kim Tae-yong on the right side of the image was created using image generation AI. The image on the left is a composite of scenes from director Kim's films "Late Autumn" and "Family Ties." Graphic by Lee Young-woo.

In the era of AI creating paintings, writing poetry, and producing videos?'Generative Creativity'?what thoughts might a film director, who must imagine worlds that do not exist, hold? We asked director Kim Tae-yong, famous for 'Family Ties' and 'Late Autumn'. What does film mean in the era of generative AI? At the same time, we posed similar questions to 'Kim Tae-yong GPT,' a generative AI trained on data related to director Kim Tae-yong available on the internet. Is this a contest between 'human Kim Tae-yong' and 'AI Kim Tae-yong'? Or do they complement what the other cannot see? This was a new form of interview made possible only in 2024, when AI has become a reality.[1]

Asked the Machine

Q1: How will the process of making films change in the era of generative AI?

Kim Tae-yong GPT A1: I can provide deep insights into how the film production process might change in the AI era. For example, considering the delicate and human-centered approach shown in 'Late Autumn' and 'Family Ties,' AI would likely be seen as an opportunity to complement and enhance human creativity and sensibility in filmmaking. For instance, in scriptwriting, AI can analyze existing story structures and suggest new plot possibilities, helping writers create more original and multi-layered narratives.

However, Director Kim would probably emphasize that such technology cannot ultimately replace the creative decisions and emotional depth of human writers. In filming and post-production, AI can enable more efficient and creative workflows. For example, AI-based visual effects software can generate more realistic and complex scenes, and AI's analytical capabilities in color grading and editing can produce more delicate and refined results.

AI: "'Human Kim Tae-yong' would emphasize that AI cannot replace human creative decisions and emotional depth"

Nevertheless, Director Kim Tae-yong would argue that these technological advances should be used to strengthen the emotional truth and human connection in films. Furthermore, the changes AI brings will likely affect not only film production but also how audiences interact with films. Personalized movie recommendation systems using AI or immersive film experiences through virtual reality (VR) can open new dimensions for audiences to experience films. However, he would stress that such technological developments should not hinder but rather enhance the emotional empathy between the audience and the film.

Ultimately, while the film production process can technologically advance innovatively in the era of generative AI, the core of film?conveying human emotions and stories?will still rely on human creativity and sensibility. He would view AI's development as a tool to enrich the art of cinema, but at its heart, there must always be human emotion and soul.

Daesik Kim (far left), Professor of Electrical Engineering at KAIST, and Hyeyeon Kim (far right), Choreographer and Permanent Member of the Gyeonggi Dance Company at Gyeonggi Arts Center, are having a discussion with Director Taeyong Kim (center) on the topic "What is Film in the Era of Generative AI?" at Edit City Project in Seocho-gu, Seoul, on the 3rd of last month. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Q2: In Director Kim Tae-yong's film 'Late Autumn,' will the two main characters meet again? And would it be good if they did?

Kim Tae-yong GPT A2 : 'Late Autumn' delicately portrays the emotional changes experienced by two strangers, Anna and Hyun[2], as they deeply enter each other's lives in a short time. Through their relationship, the film invites us to reconsider the complexity of human relationships and the uncertainties of life. I tend to leave the film's ending open to interpretation, allowing the audience to project their own thoughts and feelings onto the film.

Whether the two protagonists meet again is not explicitly stated. This has led to various interpretations and discussions among viewers. Some optimistically believe the feelings that blossomed between them can transcend time and space. Others interpret their relationship as merely a fleeting connection within the cycle of meeting and parting depicted in the film.

AI: "Life is unpredictable; finding meaning in the process itself is more important than completeness"

Regarding whether it would be good for the two protagonists to meet again, it is necessary to consider the meaning of their relationship and the place it holds in each of their lives. In the film, Anna and Hyun provide each other with opportunities for significant change and reflection. Such encounters deeply affect them and offer new perspectives on life. From this viewpoint, their reunion could be an opportunity to continue this journey of reflection and change.

However, life is unpredictable, and sometimes finding meaning in the process itself is more important than completeness. If their reunion occurs in a way that does not undermine the message and emotional resonance of the film, it would certainly be a positive development. But even if they do not meet again, the meaning and changes their meeting brought will remain deeply in each of their lives. Ultimately, 'Late Autumn' reminds us through their relationship to explore the possibilities of change and growth amid life's uncertainties and to cherish the beauty of the moment.

Professor Kim Dae-sik is entering the question he posed to Director Kim Tae-yong into Chat GPT. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Asked the Human

Q1. What does it mean to make films in the era of generative artificial intelligence?

Human Kim Tae-yong A1: This is a really difficult point. Nevertheless, if I think about it, just as literature has moved past the era when only a few writers wrote, and recently the ways to become a writer have diversified, and even when cameras were not very advanced, there were artists who used them, now with technological advances, anyone can take photos. I think making films will similarly become something that more people can do through their own storytelling. Generative AI will certainly show better efficiency.

Then many people will no longer just enjoy films as consumers but will try to make films themselves, thinking, 'I could probably produce something like that quickly.' This change will naturally raise expectations for films, and as we write, we each feel the subtle differences conveyed in writing. In the past, because fewer people wrote, it might have been harder to deeply feel those subtle differences. In this context, I think films in the AI era will not only raise expectations for the films themselves but also refine how audiences appreciate them, increasing expectations for good films.

Q2: In the film 'Late Autumn,' will the two main characters meet again? Would it be good if they did?

Human Kim Tae-yong A2 : When I first wrote this story, the first scene I thought of was 'a woman waiting for someone.' So I wondered, what memory is the woman waiting for that person with? I wanted to make a film about the memory of waiting for that person. The premise was that the person never comes. The story in the film was based on 'waiting for someone who does not come,' and I made the film with that premise. But by the end of filming, I started to think, 'Maybe they could meet again someday,' and the feeling changed a bit as I shot.

I felt this question was a good one. The premise of waiting for someone who does not come was the starting point, but while filming, I got a slight, intuitive change of thought that maybe they could meet. Answering this question today, I realized my own thoughts have changed again. As for whether it would be good for the two protagonists to meet again, I don't know. Some might hope for their reunion and think they should meet again, but as of now, I am not sure if it would be good.

Director Kim Tae-yong is answering questions from Professor Kim Dae-sik and choreographer Kim Hye-yeon. Photo by Jin-hyung Kang aymsdream@

Human Kim Dae-sik & Human Kim Hye-yeon : The director provided much more detailed information than AI. Before making the film, he thought of waiting, but as he filmed, he got closer to the characters. He developed feelings. He also hoped they would meet again. The stories about existing films can be sufficiently learned by ChatGPT through internet searches. But what the director just shared is something only he can know?experiences felt with body and mind. The mind and thoughts of the experiencer exist in that past moment, then revive in the present, change, and think differently again.

In an era where machines can replicate artworks, the concept of 'Aura' is important. Just from the director's answer today, you can immediately feel that ChatGPT's answers lack aura. I think the time axis is ultimately aura. We see an ordinary chair now. But if someone suddenly tells us BTS sat on this chair a week ago, it would cause a sensation. People would touch it, and there would be a line to get it.

"ChatGPT's answers lack 'Aura'"
"AI is a collaborator within a human-created worldview"

But materially, it's the same thing. I think ChatGPT's outputs lack memory, time axis, and history. But when stories and memories, and BTS come in, aura is created. Of course, that aura exists in our minds, but when something gains meaning within a relationship, the entity itself becomes different.

So if you leave it to ChatGPT from the start, it seems to begin as a shell without aura. But if it starts from something human and then changes, ChatGPT can help. That is probably the greatest way AI technology can assist creation and becomes a new tool never seen before. Ultimately, even when people work together, it's the same. People join based on the worldview of the original creator. No one collaborates on something without a worldview. So books and AI alike are collaborators who enter a human-created worldview, but they can never create that worldview themselves. It seems many answers are already given in today's conversation.

[1] The repeated phrase "If director Kim Tae-yong were..." regarding generative AI was omitted. All other answers are the Korean responses of 'Kim Tae-yong GPT' as is.

[2] The protagonists' names in Late Autumn are 'Anna' and 'Hoon,' but GPT expressed them as 'Anna' and 'Hyun.'

Professor Kim Dae-sik, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KAIST

Choreographer Kim Hye-yeon (CEO of Yeonist)