Visual Communication, South Korea
- Mentor
- Chunyu
- Student
- Yan
- Tags
- Visual Communication
- South Korea
- Undergraduate
Project Statement
Project: Deepfake
Project Description
The project focuses on "incidents of deepfake technology abuse". Through visual art and scene models, it aims to reveal the potential harm that artificial intelligence poses to social ethics and personal safety, with particular attention to the harm done to minors and women. The analysis unfolds from three perspectives — the victim, the overseer and the beneficiary — combining data with fictional scenes to critique the dark side of technology abuse.
Project Highlights
- Multi-perspective narrative: Approaching the subject from the viewpoints of the victim, the overseer and the beneficiary to dissect the full chain of events.
- Metaphorical materials: Glass (fragility), metal (cold cruelty) and optical fibre (the flow of data) reinforce the theme.
- Data meets art: Contrasting real statistics with surreal scenes sharpens the critique.
With its strong visual impact and conceptual metaphors, the project warns of the social risks of technology abuse, combining artistic merit with social significance.
Reflections
1. A Deeper Understanding of Technology as a Double-Edged Sword
While analysing South Korea's "Telegram chat room" scandal, I realised that deepfake technology is not simply a tool — it can drive progress in film-making and virtual interaction, but it can also become a weapon for violating privacy and spreading disinformation. Especially when it is used to generate sexual content involving minors, its destructive power is beyond imagination.
2. The Power of Visual Storytelling
To convey the victims' plight, I designed a scene of being "trapped in a glass cage": shattered faces, tangled cables and fragile crystal materials symbolise how technology can imprison people in an invisible cage. Through cold neon tones and mechanical elements, I tried to express the loneliness and despair of victims who have been objectified. In the "beneficiary" scene, by contrast, gold virtual currency and metallic textures allude to the coldness and greed of the profit chain. This visual language showed me that abstract social issues can strike a chord through concrete symbols.
3. The Real Lives Behind the Data
The figures cited in the project (484 reports, 227,000 participants) shocked me, but what truly moved me was thinking concretely about the "67 victims". They are not just numbers but students, teachers and even whole families whose lives have been torn apart by technology. When I brought together the "cages" in the model scenes and the victims' case files, I suddenly realised that behind every statistic lies a real human struggle.
4. The Never-Ending Contest Between Technology and Ethics
In building the "overseer" scene, I used fibre-optic networks and surveillance monitors to explore the dilemma of regulation: technology evolves far faster than legal and moral frameworks can mature. I agonised over how to strike a balance between curbing abuse and protecting innovation, and in the end I kept a "translucent cage" in the model — a symbol of restraint that also hints that technology itself may still break free. It taught me that there is no absolute answer, only ongoing dialogue and reflection.
5. Art as a Vehicle for Social Critique
I used to see art mainly as a tool for self-expression, but this project made me rethink the meaning of creative work. By combining a Surrealist style (crystal balls, mechanical tentacles) with social issues, I found that art can not only expose problems but also inspire empathy and action in viewers. When the audience gazes at the "faces altered by AI" in the model, the alienating effect of technology becomes tangible — this is exactly where visual language goes beyond words.
Closing Thoughts: Finding Light in the Cracks
This project was like a prism, helping me see clearly the contradictions and hopes of the technological age. The darkness of these events once left me feeling powerless, but in the end I chose to keep a ray of "cold blue light" in the scene — it represents the victims' resilience and symbolises humanity's capacity to reflect on and take control of technology. I know that the fight against technology abuse is a long one, but every work created and every voice raised is a step towards the light.