New Worlds, New Ethics
Our first-ever Vox Alumni poll gathers your opinions on how AI-created art and the metaverse impact creativity, authenticity and the blurring of lines between the physical and the virtual.
DID YOU KNOW
With the rise of the metaverse, the definition of what is ‘real’ no longer has to consider a place/person/object’s physical iteration. Even luxury goods are going virtual. In 2021, fashion house Gucci sold a virtual handbag for over US$4,000 (S$5,400) on online gaming platform Roblox, exceeding the price of the bag’s physical iteration. Roblox has established itself as a leading player in the metaverse space, with over 58 million daily active users.
As technology becomes increasingly ubiquitous, ethical considerations have emerged as an important topic that can no longer be ignored. For example, the use of technology in creative fields — such as art created by artificial intelligence (AI) — raises questions about the role of advanced digital tools in artistic expression and the relationship between humans and machines. Similarly, using real and fake identities in the metaverse has prompted urgent discussions around privacy, consent and authenticity.
The complex and multifaceted debate involves various stakeholders, including technology companies, policymakers and the general public. In this inaugural Vox Alumni column, we explore opinions among the NUS community on the ethical implications of these two digital frontiers. In doing so, we seek to better understand the attitudes towards these technologies and their impact on society, and shed some light on prevailing views on AI-created art and the metaverse to promote an informed discussion about the responsible use of technology in the digital age.
Does AI-created art devalue art and creativity?
What are your thoughts on the metaverse and avatars?