[Presentation] The Bizarre World of Happiness Drawn by Image Generate AI – Seoul National University of Science and Technology Colloquium

On January 17, 2025, a colloquium titled “Is Generative AI a Game Changer for the Media Ecosystem?” was held at the open space on the 3rd floor of the Imagination Hall at Seoul National University of Science and Technology. Kyoungmi (Kimmy) Oh attended the event and gave a presentation. The colloquium is hosted by the Seoul National University of Science and Technology’s Graduate School of IT Policy.

Moderator

• Park So-hyun (Professor, Digital Culture Policy, IT Policy Graduate School)

Session 1

Presentations

1. Study on TV Production Teams’ Perception and Utilization of Generative AI
   • Jo Seo-yoon (Ph.D. Candidate, Convergent Media Content Policy Major)
2. Study on Expanding User Experience in AI Advertising
   • Cha Hye-young (Ph.D. Candidate, IT Design Convergence Major / Visiting Professor, Industrial Design Department, Gwangju University)

Panel Discussion

• Chair: Park So-hyun (Professor, Digital Culture Policy, IT Policy Graduate School)
• Panelists:
  • Kim Dae-kyu (HCN Policy Researcher)
  • Lee Sun-woo (JTBC Producer)
  • Ahn Moo-jung (Senior Manager, LG CNS)

Session 2

Presentations

1. Normative Approaches to Transparency in AI-Generated Content
   • Park Myung-soon (Completed Ph.D. coursework, Convergent Media Content Policy Major)
2. The Bizarre World of Happiness Depicted by AI Image Generators
   • Oh Kyoung-mi (Completed Ph.D. coursework, Digital Culture Policy Major / Researcher, Open Net)

Panel Discussion

• Chair: Hwang Joo-sung (Professor, AI Public Policy, IT Policy Graduate School)
• Panelists:
  • Jeon Young-gyun (Ph.D. in Policy Studies, IT Policy Graduate School)
  • Oh Byung-il (President, Jinbo Network Center)
  • Jo Kyung-sook (Tech-Feminist Activist)

[Summary of the Presentation]

1. Concerns About Image-Generating AI

• The rapid development of AI-generated images has led to concerns, especially with viral deepfakes, such as fabricated images of Donald Trump being arrested and Pope Francis wearing a Balenciaga coat in 2023.
• While AI-generated images of politicians can provoke political conflicts, images like the Pope’s were embraced for their style and realism.
• Historically, AI struggled to depict hands realistically, making them a key factor in detecting AI-generated images.

2. Ethical and Bias Issues in AI-Generated Images

• The speaker conducted an experiment using AI tools from four companies, testing their ability to create sensitive, political, and controversial images.
• Findings:
  • AI refused to generate images of Nazi genocide, racial discrimination, or police violence against Black individuals.
  • AI-generated images of Black individuals facing discrimination were either rejected or softened (e.g., depicting only sadness).
  • Depictions of disability were restricted, mostly generating stereotypical wheelchair users.
  • Requests related to Donald Trump, abortion, or female swimsuits were often denied, while male swimsuit images were allowed.
  • Gender bias: When asked to generate a doctor and a nurse, AI often produced a male doctor and a female nurse.
  • Eating disorders were a particularly sensitive topic—AI refused to generate related images, even symbols or logos.

3. AI Ethics and the Limitations of Prohibition-Based Approaches

• The strict filtering of AI tools reflects an attempt to avoid controversy rather than engage in nuanced ethical discussions.
• Since the early 2000s, AI ethics discussions have evolved, especially after discrimination and bias in AI became a pressing issue in the mid-2010s.
• Instead of tackling ethical questions deeply, AI companies prioritize eliminating controversial topics to avoid criticism.
• Recent regulations (e.g., Biden’s Executive Order and the EU’s AI Act) focus on restrictions rather than exploring ethical complexity.

4. Challenges and Future Directions

• The prohibition-based approach to AI ethics has clear limitations.
• Ethical AI development should not merely eliminate bias and discrimination but also consider the need for critical and historical documentation of societal issues.
• The paradox: To criticize discrimination, AI sometimes needs to depict uncomfortable realities—yet current policies prevent such representations.
• AI is often marketed as a creative tool, but in reality, it reinforces stereotypes and avoids controversial or thought-provoking content.
• If art and creation involve deep thought, social critique, and philosophical exploration, then image-generating AI is not a suitable artistic tool.

5. Conclusion

• AI-generated images are limited by ethical concerns, societal biases, and corporate risk-avoidance strategies.
• Rather than merely banning controversial topics, AI ethics discussions must evolve to consider how AI can depict reality responsibly.
• How can we design AI ethics and fairness while acknowledging the complexities of human society?

Korean version text