[Slate] The Reckless 'Wonderland' That Hides the Existence of AI

A Faulty Digital Persona That Sleeps and Dreams
Users Hide AI Existence... Administrators Turn a Blind Eye
A Serious Challenge to Human Dignity... Leading to Greater Harm

In the movie 'Superman (1978)', Clark Kent (Christopher Reeve) meets his deceased biological father, Jor-El (Marlon Brando). At this moment, El is a digital twin (a technology that creates an identical object in a virtual space to the real one for various simulation tests). They have a two-way conversation, during which El explains the purpose of sending him to Earth. However, they do not form a mental connection.

Digital twins are beneficial media that transcend time and space to share expert knowledge and experience. For example, successful entrepreneurs, writers, programmers, and others can pass down their specialized knowledge, unique experiences, styles, ways of thinking, and values to future generations. Books and papers that have traditionally transmitted knowledge and experience are being replaced by real-time interactive digital humans.

In the movie 'Wonderland', the purpose for which Bai Li (Tang Wei) uses it is different. He is diagnosed with a terminal illness. He wants to hide his impending death from his daughter Jia (Ye Jia Yuan). He lies about going on a long business trip and uses a digital twin during video calls to deceive her.

A digital persona is not human. It does not exist in reality. It exists only on the screen. Everything, including its appearance, is anthropomorphized. Although it seems to think like a human, it analyzes various data to produce results. Bai Li's digital persona is outside this category. It independently judges and acts in all matters. When it falls asleep, it even dreams. It is no different from a human trapped in another world.

The horizontal coexistence of humans and artificial intelligence (AI) depicted by director Kim Tae-yong triggers the "uncanny valley" proposed by Japanese roboticist Masahiro Mori in 1970. This theory states that as a robot's appearance becomes more human-like, the increasing affinity suddenly drops sharply like a valley when something feels strange, causing strong rejection.

Bai Li's digital persona accumulates new experiences and forms relationships in the digital twin world called Wonderland. Even if communication is cut off in the real world, it continues to think and exist. After realizing in a dream that it is a technology implemented for humans, nothing changes. It longs for a dramatic reunion with its daughter and rushes outside Wonderland. It breaks the scientific framework entirely to emphasize maternal love.

Upon closer examination, the basic setting itself is problematic. Bai Li's mother (Nina Paw) continues to hide her daughter's death from her granddaughter. The administrators know but do not care. Intentionally concealing the existence of AI from the perspective of human dignity is a serious challenge. This is because the boundary between the living and the dead can become blurred. It can also cause greater wounds to the surviving family and descendants.

Professor Kim Myung-joo of Seoul Women's University emphasized in her book 'AI Has No Conscience' that "Informing about the existence and role of AI in advance is the first button to clearly state that AI exists for humans and the starting point for maintaining a vertical coexistence relationship."

"It is desirable not only to inform about the existence of AI but also to specify in advance the scope of roles and the level of capabilities AI is entrusted with. This is similar to the legal requirement to follow prior notification procedures when installing and operating video information devices like CCTV in public places. The law mandates posting a notice board that clearly states the purpose, location, filming range and time, and the name and contact information of the manager so that ordinary people can easily recognize it."

In North America and Europe, social enterprises that erase traces of the deceased from the digital world are also emerging. This concept is the exact opposite of digital twins. DeadSocial, which calls itself a digital undertaker, is a representative example. It helps people prepare for the death they will face in the future and properly tie up loose ends in both the real and digital worlds. Upon death, it organizes digital legacies and accounts to minimize damage to the deceased and their families. It is much more systematic and safer than Wonderland.