스파이크 존즈의 <그녀>에 나타난 인공지능 연인 가능성

Abstract

This paper examines the possibility of taking artificial intelligences as human lovers in Spike Jonze’s Her. Theodore Twombly, the main protagonist, happens to meet Samantha, artificial intelligence operating system (OS) created by Element Software, in the midst of relationship crises with his former wife Catherine, Sexy Kitten, and an anonymous Harvard graduate. Unlike those women who make either unreasonable arguments, or nagging remarks, or challenging demands endlessly, Samantha listens to him, understands him, and makes herself available any time and any place. Besides, she is an able existence that can help re-arrange Theodore’s personal chores and even earn money by making his diaries published in book markets. She is omniscient and omnipotent. Theodore looks almost successful in finding an alternative lover. The problem, however, happens because Samantha has different conceptions of love. She confesses she can make relationship with Theodore and many other customers simultaneously. In other words, she is not ethical at all. Considering her capacity to make herself evolved, Samantha can be harmful and dangerous as well as competent and valuable. How is it possible, as Wendell Wallach and Colin Allen raise questions, “to teach right from wrong” to make artificial intelligences like Samantha “moral machines?” This is one of the imminent missions to resolve in the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Another mission to complete is the necessity of body to artificial intelligences. In Her, Spike Jonze makes an experiment to build a bodily hybridity between artificial intelligences and humans: either a human body installed with artificial intelligences or mechanical structures (robots) loaded with human souls. Throughout the film, the director implies more and more humans will make artificial intelligences their lovers once they are assured that the artificial intelligences are fully equipped with human ethics.