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“Bam-eui, the Writer” by Cho Kwang-hee

2023-10-31

There were several things to consider when subscribing to an AI service: The nickname for the AI entity he will be using; the area of expertise such as law, literature, sciences, information technology; whether to communicate in text only or in voice also; whether to add a storytelling function; whether to allow AI to ask questions and such.

Gun-woo paid 34,000 won in monthly fee for his choice of options. The AI sometimes gave absurd answers but it more than fulfilled its role as a personal assistant and a friend.

건우는 문득 윤밤의와 자신이 등장하는 부분이 업로드 된 날짜들이

실제로 만난 날들의 전날이라는 것을 깨닫는다.

이게 무슨 의미일까?

건우는 찬찬히 생각한 끝에 파악한다.

저 음흉한 소설가는 벌어질 일을 미리 예측해서 소설을 쓰고,

그 다음 회는 실제로 일어난 일을 반영하면서 다시 예측한다는 것을...

나름의 문학적 실험이라는 것일까.

Gun-woo suddenly realized that the posting dates of the episodes featuring himself and Yun Bam-eui were all one day before they had actually met. What does this mean? Gun-woo thought carefully before reaching a conclusion. That conniving novelist wrote her story by predicting what would happen and then would make a prediction again in the next episode based on what had actually happened. Maybe it was a sort of literary experiment.

건우가 레비에게 물으니,

현실과 허구가 얽힌 소설이나 영화가 ‘겁나게’ 많다고 했다.

어쩐 일인지 여기서 레비는 표준적인 용법에서 벗어나

‘겁나게’라는 부사를 썼다.

레비마저 건우를 놀리기 시작하는 걸까.

When Gun-woo asked Levy about it, the AI said that there were an awful lot of novels or movies that merged reality and fiction. For some reason, Levy used the word ‘awful,’ an unusual word choice that deviated from its standard language. Is Levy starting to mock Gun-woo?

# Interview with literary critic Jeon So-yeong

The AI featured in this story is named Levy, but sometimes called Levi. That name reminds us of the monster Leviathan featured in the Book of Job in the Bible. Leviathan is a powerful creature with superhuman strength. AI is the modern version of Leviathan. Stories such as this one where the future of AI and humankind is foretold prompt us to reflect on our future.

“들을 만하셨어요? 구상중인 이야기와 근사한가요?”

“Was it good? Was it close to the story you were envisioning?”

으스대는 듯한 레비의 목소리가 이름을 얻지 못한 소설가의 귓속을 파고든다.

Levy’s seemingly boastful voice seemed to penetrate the obscure writer’s ears.

“기대와 약간 다르기는 한데, 흥미로웠어.

후속편을 바로 들려줄 수 있어?”

“It wasn’t what I expected but it was interesting, nonetheless. Can you read me the next episode?”

“바로 시작할까요? 아니면, 추가로 요청할 사항이 있으세요?”

“Shall I start right away, or do you have any more requests?”

“음...예전에 만난 사람이 밤의였을 것으로, 아니 밤의의 언니였던 것으로 들려줘”

“Well, let’s hear the version with Bam-eui as the person I had met earlier, not Bam-eui’s sister.”

“두 버전을 차례로 들려드릴까요?”

“Shall I read you those two versions one after the other?”

“그게 좋겠다. 우선 밤의였던 버전부터...”

“Yes, start with the one with Bam-eui.”

“다른 요청은 없으신가요?”

“Any other requests?”

“음, 이번에는 밤의가 건우를 바라보는 관점에서 이야기를 풀어줘.

참, 한 가지 더.... 이야기에 굳이 너를 등장시킨 이유가 뭐야?”

“Let’s hear it from Bam-eui’s viewpoint this time, you know, how she looked at Gun-woo. One more thing. Why did you have to insert yourself in the story?”

레비는 AI답지 않게 잠깐 뜸을 들인 후 대답한다.

아니면, 그것조차 계산된 것일까?

Out of character for artificial intelligence, Levy paused before answering. Or was even the pause planned?

Cho Kwang-hee (Born in Seoul, 1966~ )

Debuted with full-length novel “Reset” in 2018