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ACC Theater’s SF Performance Series “Near Human,” “Dignity Delegated”
Two SF plays that bring speculative reflection and artistic imagination about the near future to the stage

Rapid advancements in science and technology, which we have often encountered indirectly through various science fiction (SF) works, are no longer a distant future but an imminent reality. From “artificial intelligence” and “robots,” designed to enrich human life, to “cultured meat” and “artificial wombs,” which venture into domains once considered divine, the accelerated progress in technology is profoundly impacting our lives. These developments are not only reshaping individual self-awareness and value systems but also altering the ways we interact with others and relate to the world, influencing the entirety of societal phenomena surrounding us.

Just as the emergence of the term “Anthropocene” suggests, humanity is now recognized as a force that exerts a massive influence on the fate of future generations and the myriad other species (種) inhabiting the Earth. This recognition demands proactive and deliberate action and intervention concerning the future. In this context, the genre of science fiction (SF) serves as a vital medium for diagnosing these societal phenomena, detecting and responding to future changes based on scientific evidence, and fostering deep reflection. Therefore, SF should not be dismissed as merely a fictional literary world.

Darko Suvin, often referred to as the father of SF criticism, defined the primary formal device of science fiction as an imaginative framework that serves as an alternative to the author’s empirical environment. In other words, SF is a genre where the familiar contemporary world intersects with an unfamiliar, imagined framework. Thus, SF goes beyond the simple spectrum of imagination that characterizes the fantasy genre; it is a rational and scientifically grounded endeavor that anticipates and reflects on the future of our society.

The SF performance series debuting at the ACC Theater presents two plays that artistically explore speculative thought about the near future. Developed through the ACC Performance Residency program, these two works were conceived from thematic research and scriptwriting, each depicting the lives of humans coexisting with artificial intelligence and machines in an imagined future society shaped by technological advancements. The series aims to predict the phenomena that may arise in our lives and society because of rapid technological change. It also seeks to share and reflect on the social discourse and numerous humanistic questions that we, as contemporaries, need to engage with today, offering the audience a space for thoughtful contemplation.

“Artificial Wombs” and the “Surrogacy Industry”: Human Dignity in Future Capitalist Values, “Dignity Delegated”

The Play “Dignity Delegated” (written by Moon Jungyoun, and directed by Choi Yeorim), which premiered on July 12–13, was first introduced to audiences as a staged reading during last year’s residency showcase. Set in a future society where having children through artificial wombs is the norm, the story centers on a young girl named Alice, who is part of a surrogacy industry catering to the preferences and satisfaction of wealthy romantics. The narrative unfolds through the intersecting perspectives of Alice, who, despite being one of the most marginalized individuals within the inequalities of international labor division, remains loyal to the couple who hired her and deeply respects the life of the baby she carries and the privileged couple who hires Alice to carry and deliver their child.

Although this work adopts the SF genre set in the near future, it does not focus on the advancement of technology. Instead, it highlights the persistent inequalities in international labor division and social phenomena within an imagined future society where radical technological progress has enriched human life. The play draws attention to the marginalized and exploited classes within this new capitalist structure and explores the universal value of “human dignity” through the character of “Alice,” who, despite her circumstances, steadfastly continues her life with dignity.

A key aspect of this work is its focus on how advanced technologies, intended to improve the quality of life for all, can instead generate new forms of discrimination and exploitation. The technology of “artificial wombs,” which is becoming a reality brought by advancements in life sciences, is often seen as a means to liberate women from the pain of pregnancy and childbirth, thereby addressing gender inequality and resolving issues like surrogacy. However, the play portrays how such societal changes might ultimately reinforce a culture among the privileged that increasingly values biological childbirth, while the poorest nations, driven by the need for survival within the global capitalist system, are forced into the surrogacy industry. This, in turn, leads to the emergence of new, legalized forms of inequality, discrimination, and exploitation.

The play goes beyond the drama of a single character, prompting reflection on whether humanity can achieve a better life and maintain dignity in a rapidly advancing technological society. It also encourages us to consider what values we should uphold as we envision the future of technology, particularly in avoiding the inequalities of desire and exploitation embedded within power structures.

Stories of Women and Artists Living Intensely in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, “Near Human”

“Near Human (written by Guduri, and directed by Kim Su-hee)” is a performance put onstage in conjunction with Jeongdong Theater on August 23–24. The script was developed through the 2022 “ACC Performance Residency” with the theme, “Post-COVID, Posthuman,” and premiered in the Jeongdong Theater’s Cecil CREATing project this year.

“Near Human,” which premiered last May at the Jeongdong Theater to critical acclaim, is set in a speculative future where pregnancy and childbirth through artificial wombs have become a basic right, and only AI-created works are published and consumed. The story centers on two female artists navigating a society where performance venues have disappeared, and art is archived as just another scene in history.

The story focuses on the lives of two women: “Jae-yeong,” a dancer who is preparing for an AI evaluation to become the Holder of the Intangible Cultural Heritage program while also planning to give birth through an artificial womb, and “Su-hyeon,” who has given up writing her own works and now lives as a mentor to AI authors, struggling with feelings of obsolescence. Through their narratives, the play reveals the anxieties and dilemmas they face as both artists and women. As the stories of “Jae-yeong” and “Su-hyeon” intertwine in layered complexity, the play increasingly poses a common question to the audience in its later stages: “In an era of advanced and rapidly changing technology, how will humans relate to machines? And what is the fundamental essence of humanity and art within this context?”

As of now, AI-driven artistic creation is considered a limited activity, lacking “conscious experience,” and is deemed impossible without human collaboration. However, as depicted in the play, if a future arrives where superintelligent AI continuously evolves and advances on its own, AI may acquire cognitive and conscious abilities that surpass those of humans. This could lead to an era where AI performs creative artistic acts based on vast databases, potentially rendering human artists obsolete.

In this unsettling and uncertain imagined future, the final scenes where the two protagonists demonstrate their resolve and solidarity seem to offer a glimpse of the practical approach we should adopt as we face the future in our contemporary world. Much like the philosophy of “Posthumanism,” the play suggests that humanity must recognize itself not as the central being on Earth but as a hybrid existence that interacts with and relates to other species (種). It advocates for embracing the changes brought by new technologies with an attitude of coexistence, solidarity, and determination.

Technological Advancement and Power Structures in Future Society Through a Feminine Perspective

Both works are set in the near future and unfold through the perspectives of female protagonists, making them narratives centered on women. They also highlight the persistent hierarchical structures that exist even in an era of advanced technology and progressive social consciousness, revealing how these structures shape the evolving roles of women and the ongoing forms of discrimination they face.

Recently, as AI services have become more commercialized and films and literary works increasingly assign gender identities to artificial intelligence, various issues surrounding AI and femininity have come to the forefront of discussions. Notably, there is a growing trend to attribute femininity to AI (or robots) when they perform “supportive” or “passive” roles, highlighting gender issues within the field of AI technology. The unsettling phenomenon of assigning gender identities to non-human objects, and the portrayal of AI robots with feminine characteristics in literature and film, should be seen as a reflection of the accumulated data, algorithms, and the underlying consciousness of inequality in contemporary society that is now coming to the surface.

As time progresses, women’s status and autonomy are increasingly respected, yet legal gender discrimination persists, with some countries and regions still holding conservative stances on issues like banning abortion. Reflecting these contemporary issues, the two plays set in the future tackle sensitive subjects such as the “abortion law” for fetuses in artificial wombs, and the contrast between commercialized “artificial wombs” and “surrogacy.” These works aim to explore and artistically interpret the anticipated social changes from a feminine perspective, offering a thoughtful examination of these evolving dynamics.

In an era that calls for bringing marginalized communities into the public discourse and fostering attitudes of inclusion and coexistence, these two works, centered on female protagonists and driven by women’s narratives, offer us meaningful challenges and messages to consider.

Challenges Presented to Us by SF Works in the Posthumanism Era

We often hear the term “posthumanism era” being used. This era moves beyond the human-centered focus of “humanism” to explore new relationships between humans and non-humans. It seeks to dismantle historically dominant hierarchies centered around whiteness and masculinity, advocating for a deconstructive, non-binary approach that fosters coexistence.

Amid this intellectual current, the two works raise profound questions about whether the technological advancements of future society can be used as tools to overcome environmental, social, and political divisions and discrimination related to gender, disability, and animal rights. They explore whether we can embrace diversity in all forms, foster solidarity as hybrid beings, and establish co-evolutionary relationships between humans and non-humans.

From Shin Sangkyu, Posthuman, Posthumanism, and the Reinvention of Life, 2020

As we approach the near future society, how will the symbiosis between humans and artificial intelligence transform and shape our lives? Through the perspectives captured in these two creators’ works, I hope this will be an opportunity to glimpse our future selves and reflect on how to steer toward a positive future.