AI ETHICS | BIAS IN AI | EMPATHETIC AI | AI FOR SOCIAL GOOD
DEHUMANIZATION BY HUMANS, HUMANIZATION BY NON-HUMANS
ROLE
Meta Researcher
DESCRIPTION
As a Research Assistant of the Human and Artificial Intelligence Research Lab at Yonsei University, I worked on examining how bias in AI is created by human data through meta-research. At the same time, I was able to imagine how AI could help humans redefine what being human means.
TIMELINE
Sep 2025 - Feb 2026
RESEARCH METHODS
Meta-research
ADVISOR
Keeheon Lee
PROJECT INTRODUCTION
This research series challenges the prevailing narrative that AI is the primary force displacing human labor and agency.
My research team and I argue that it is not AI itself but human decisions, driven by economic incentives, institutional power, and ethical neglect, that lead to dehumanization.
In contrast, we also delve into how AI can facilitate empathy, support, and inclusion under intentional and ethical design. Here, we aim to contribute to the humanization of marginalized experiences.
Overall, through this research initiative, we aim to reframe the role of AI in society, shifting the conversation from technological fear to human responsibility.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Human prejudice, greed, and the desire
for control are amplified through AI.
Dehumanization is driven not by machines, but by humans.
Bias in AI is essentially the result of learning from data and the biases deeply embedded in human society.
Humans: The Source of Algorithmic Bias
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Qualified applicants from minority groups are disproportionately denied loans
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Facial recognition is less accurate for women of color
Bias in AI is essentially the result of learning from data and the biases deeply embedded in human society.
M. Ai, H. McNeill, and H. R. Heise, "Humans inherit artificial intelligence biases," Sci. Rep., vol. 13, no. 16352, Oct. 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-42384-8. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-42384-8
L. Belenguer, "AI bias: exploring discriminatory algorithmic decision-making models and the application of possible machine-centric solutions adapted from the pharmaceutical industry," AI Ethics, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 771-787, Feb. 2022. doi: 10.1007/s43681-022-00138-8
"Ethical and bias considerations in artificial intelligence," Comput. Biol. Med., vol. 169, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0893395224002667
Humans: The Architects
of Labor Replacement Logic
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Humans amplify the narrative that AI can “replace humans.”
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The introduction of technology replaces existing tasks but also creates new ones.
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e.g., movie Hidden Figures (2016)
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Humans decide to replace other humans, using AI as a pretext.
L. C. Mangaro, A. H. M. de Almeida, and L. Briand, "The impact of artificial intelligence on employment: the role of task creation and transformation," Humanities and Social Sciences Communications, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1-11, Jan. 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-02647-9
J. Graetz and G. Michaels, "Artificial intelligence's creation and displacement of labor," Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change, vol. 188, p. 122301, Aug. 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S004016252400622X[6]. C. Mangaro, A. H. M. de Almeida, and L. Briand, "The impact of artificial intelligence on employment: the role of task creation and transformation," Humanities Soc. Sci. Commun., vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 1-11, Jan. 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-024-02647-9
Humans: The Constructors
of a Data Surveillance Society
An unprecedented level of control has become a reality through digital technology.
Constant monitoring and management treat us as “predictable assets” to be optimized.
D. Curran, "Surveillance capitalism and systemic digital risk," Big Data Soc., vol. 10, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/20539517231177621
D. Stark, P. van de Bunt, and A. Ter Wal, "Principles of algorithmic management," Org. Theory, vol. 5, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/26317877241257213
T. Haggerty and R. Ericson, "Review: The Digital Surveillance Society," Contemp. Sociol., vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 123-125, 2018. [Online]. Available: https://www.jstor.org/stable/26825143
A DIFFERENT CHOICE
AI Becomes the Catalyst for Recovering Humanity
AI: A Catalyst for Expanding Potential and Abilities
"What does it mean to be human?"
When an AI diagnoses diseases, we reconsider the role of empathy and care in medicine.
As we contemplate the possibility of AI making ethical judgments, we are compelled to deeply explore the meanings of morality and responsibility.
A. Salatino, K. Dong, X. Wu, X. Wang, and Y. Chi, "Influence of AI behavior on human moral decisions, agency and responsibility," Sci. Rep., vol. 15, no. 1, p. 13210, Aug. 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-95587-6
S. Hofmann, S. T. Nguyen, and G. Kordecki, "Empathetic creativity as a ‘shield’: A dual-path study of the service industry," Comput. Human Behav., vol. 140, p. 107666, Jul. 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0969698925000803
G. Hofman, "Towards a Practical Ethics of Generative AI in Creative Production Processes," arXiv preprint arXiv:2412.03579, Dec. 2024. [Online]. Available: https://arxiv.org/pdf/2412.03579
AI: A Mirror Reflecting “Humanity”
Instead of replacing humans, AI can serve as a collaborative partner to unlock human potential and expand our abilities.
