AI Ethics Issues Considered Through 'Moody Blues' from JoJo's Bizarre Adventure
Just as many people feel that the majority of Japanese people are oblivious to peace, many experts in applied ethics—such as corporate ethics, medical ethics, and media ethics—feel that the majority of Japanese people are uninterested in ethical issues. I have approached AI ethics issues from various angles until now, and I share the same sentiment as other ethics experts.
Therefore, to break through this issue, I began an attempt to discuss AI ethics issues by linking them to anime, taking advantage of the characteristics of Japan, the anime superpower.
When I explained AI ethics using Ghost in the Shell for the first installment and One Punch Man for the second, I confirmed that the number of views increases dramatically when ethical issues are explained in connection with anime. Therefore, as the third installment in the series, I will explain AI ethics with the theme of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.
Below, there are spoilers. Keeping your Stand's ability a secret is the rule!
JoJo's Bizarre Adventure Part 5: Golden Wind features the character Leone Abbacchio, whose Stand, "Moody Blues," has the ability to replay past events. Specifically, it can recreate events from a specific place or time and show them to others.
The following AI ethics issues can be pointed out regarding this ability.
Invasion of Privacy: The ability of Moody Blues to replay past events has the potential to infringe upon individual privacy. For example, showing someone else's past actions or conversations to others without permission exposes that person's secrets and privacy. In reality, technologies such as AI and surveillance cameras recording people's actions and disclosing them to third parties is a major ethical issue.
Distortion of Truth: The information replayed by Moody Blues is considered accurate. However, in the creation or reproduction of information using generative AI, there is a risk that data could be tampered with or misused. Because people tend to accept what they "see" as the truth, they may believe and act on information even if it is not accurate. This is the so-called deepfake news problem.
Prisoners of the Past: If there is technology that can constantly replay and reconfirm past events, people are more likely to become trapped by past mistakes or choices. Being repeatedly shown past failures or traumas might make it difficult to move forward.
Right to Peace of Mind: People may lose their peace of mind if their own pasts or secrets are replayed and exposed. Replaying past events could reignite trauma or pain.
Access to Technology: If such technology is available only to a limited number of people, it could lead to information imbalances or power imbalances. For example, if a specific organization or government uses this technology exclusively, there is a risk that they could control the actions of citizens. A common trope in American sci-fi movies and dramas is a story where a special ability user or alien called a shapeshifter, who can freely change their appearance, impersonates the president to commit evil deeds.
Digital Tattoos: Digital tattoos refer to the data or traces of actions that an individual leaves on the internet. These traces are difficult to erase, and once information leaks onto the internet, it may remain there forever. The ability of Moody Blues is a physical reproduction of past actions, which could be called a real-world version of a digital tattoo. A society where people's past actions and choices are constantly re-evaluated risks becoming a strict surveillance society that does not forgive mistakes.
Consensus and Consent: When using technology to acquire or replay personal data, whether that person's consent has been obtained is an important issue. Someone with an ability like Moody Blues replaying others' pasts without permission can be an act that ignores that person's consent.
Information Security: If there is an ability to replay or reproduce past information, security for that information also becomes important. We must consider the risks of unauthorized access or misuse of information.
These issues can be considered not only as supernatural abilities like Moody Blues but also as problems brought about by real-world technology and AI. It is clear that appropriate guidelines and rules are necessary, and through these, we must continue to think about the balance between technological evolution and ethics.