Chapter 4. into the future

Digital Humans

The arrival of digital humans is imminent. ‘Digital human’ is an existing term that I am using as an umbrella term to refer to digital entities that have a human likeness. They operate on behalf of humans in online spaces, interacting with us in a seamless way. They may resemble us, or they may be of a more abstract appearance. ChatGPT defines ‘digital humans’ as follows:

Jieun: What’s the definition of a digital human?

Chatty: A digital human is a computer-generated representation of a human being that can be used for a variety of purposes, such as animation, gaming, and virtual reality. They can be created using a combination of techniques, including 3D modeling, motion capture, and AI. They can be used to represent real people, such as actors or celebrities, or entirely fictional characters.

Jieun: What’s the difference between a human and a digital human?

Chatty: Humans and digital humans have several key differences.

Humans are living entities that possess consciousness, emotions, and the ability to experience pain and pleasure. They are capable of making decisions, learning, and adapting to new situations. They have physical bodies that are subject to aging and can be affected by illness or injury.

Digital humans, on the other hand, are computer-generated representations of human beings. They do not possess consciousness or the ability to experience emotions or physical sensations. They are programmed to perform specific tasks or behaviors and can only make decisions based on their programming. They do not age or experience physical change, and they do not require sustenance to survive.

In summary, Humans are living beings with consciousness and emotions, able to make decisions and adapt to new situations, and that have physical bodies that are subject to aging and can be affected by illness or injury. Digital Humans are computer-generated representations of human beings, programmed to perform specific tasks or behaviors, without consciousness or emotions and do not have physical bodies.

Redefining Digital Humans

I would argue that avatars and emojis are also digital humans, and that there are more iterations to come. In the future, it is not unthinkable that there might be a digital human population. There may also be entities like digital pets. These digital humans may actually be able to enhance our lives. For example, the elderly who live alone might find it comforting to have a digital human checking in with them like a friend would.

One recent example of a digital human that I saw was in a South Korean variety show. The cast of a Korean soap equivalent to Eastenders appeared on the variety show, and the producers surprised them with something quite remarkable. One of the cast members had passed away, and the producers had a digital human made of him for the cast to interact with. The digital human had been trained using footage of the actor, so it had his gestures and voice. It was able to interact with the cast to a sophisticated level, much to their surprise. Although meant to be touching, instances like this one raise questions about ethics. Is it okay for AI’s influence to extend to subjects so close to our hearts? We do not yet know what the effects of experimental AI usage could be. Is it ethical to revive the dead through these means? These are all questions that need answering very soon.

I asked ChatGPT about AI ethics and its moral code and received this response:

Jieun: Tell me about AI ethics

Chatty: AI ethics refers to the ethical considerations and guidelines surrounding the development and use of artificial intelligence. This can include issues such as bias in AI systems, the impact of AI on jobs and the economy, and the potential misuse of AI for harmful purposes. It also includes the responsibilities of AI developers and users, and how to ensure that AI is used in a way that is fair, transparent, and respects human rights.

Jieun: Chatty, do you have a moral code?

Chatty: As a machine learning model, I do not have the capacity for morality or consciousness. I am programmed to respond to input in certain ways based on the data and algorithms used to train me. My responses are not guided by personal beliefs or values, but rather by the patterns in the data that I have been trained on.

However, the developers and users of the model have moral code and ethical considerations, it’s important for them to take into account the ethical implications of the model and its use cases.

Jieun: What moral code do AI developers use?

Chatty: Developers of AI and machine learning systems may use a variety of different ethical frameworks and guidelines to inform their work. Some common ones include:

- The “Asilomar AI Principles”, which were developed by a group of AI researchers and professionals and include guidelines such as ensuring that AI is transparent, robust, and aligned with human values.

- The “AI Ethics Lab” which is a framework for understanding the ethical implications of AI and includes four main pillars: Fairness, reliability, safety and explainability.

- The “Partnership on AI” which is a non-profit organization that aims to promote best practices and responsible use of AI, and includes members from companies such as Google, Microsoft, and IBM.

These are some examples of the moral code that the developers use, but there are many others and it’s a complex topic that could change over time.

Overcoming Temporal Barriers

Zoom and other virtual platforms have revolutionised our relationship with spatial boundaries. Now, we can hold a conference with people all over the world and there is no need for them to travel. Since the pandemic, Zoom has allowed us to transcend spatial limitations; it has not yet solved the issue of temporal barriers, however. At the time of writing, I am to give a talk on Zoom in the United States next week, and I have to do it very late in the evening in the UK due to time difference. Thinking about the future, I can imagine that I might be able to send my digital human to give talks abroad. Perhaps it will even be able to do a Q&A, answering questions according to a data set of my own knowledge.