Love in the time of Artificial Intelligence

Everybody loves a good love triangle, but here’s one that veers away from the usual. The formidable third wheel in the romance between a man and a woman is… a hologram!

Netflix’s newest and now-streaming K-drama My Holo Love takes on love in the time of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

So-yeon is a woman who distances herself from people because of her face blindness disorder, which is described as the inability to recognize even familiar faces. Then she meets someone whom she can turn to for support, understanding and attention — ideal qualities one hopes to find in The One, except he’s someone she can’t hold and touch. His name is Holo and he’s an AI-powered hologram.

Now here comes Nan-do, So-yeon’s reclusive next-door-neighbor and Holo’s genius inventor. While Holo is made in Nan-do’s exact likeness, the latter is the polar opposite — he’s lonely and disconnected from the world, too, and certainly not as sweet and kind.

But Nan-do gets drawn into the interactions between So-yeon and Holo, and becomes his own creation’s rival for So-yeon’s affection.

Yoon Hyun-min (Tunnel, Witch at Court, Tale of Fairy) plays the dual role of Holo and Nan-do, opposite the new-gen rom-com queen Ko Sung-hee (Suits, While You’re Sleeping, Diary of a Night Watchman) as So-yeon.

Can someone really find emotional attachment with Artificial Intelligence? Is AI capable of changing human capacity for friendship and ultimately, love? These are some questions that the series explores.

True to My Holo Love’s tech-inspired theme, the Philippine press interviewed Hyun-min, 34, and Sung-hee, 29, via a video-conference call last Tuesday. Here are excerpts from the almost 40-minute chat:

On the possibility of a human being growing feelings for a robot or an AI-assisted hologram:

Sung-hee: “First of all, in our (series), there is a point in time where So-yeon starts to develop feelings for Holo and is very confused. And I think it was when I had to act that particular part (that) I really had to think a lot about that issue, that thing that you just asked. Obviously, it’s not very easy. However, you can see that the character Holo in our work is very lovable and extremely charming.”

Hyun-min: “I don’t think that it’s something that is completely impossible. Just the fact that we are holding this press conference, with us being here and you all the way in your respective countries — this is something that I couldn’t even imagine when I was a child but here we are. This is our reality today. The world is changing at such a rapid pace. I feel that in the near future, maybe a human being can have a relationship with an AI, who knows? I am open to all possibilities.”

On working and being paired with each other in the series:

Sung-hee: “It was great. I think it was one of those times when I felt the closest and most open in terms of having a conversation with a co-actor. And, I think, the kind of chemistry we formed behind the screens is really evident in our portrayal of the characters.”

Hyun-min: “It was really great for me as well. Sung-hee’s positive energy really exuded on set. It didn’t only affect me but also members of the staff, the team, everyone. I think we all had a great time, thanks to her wonderful energy. I would love to get the chance to work with her again. And she was a really great partner (fist-bumping Sung-hee).”

On finding similarities or differences with their characters:

Hyun-min: “Holo is always sweet and kind because he is an AI. Nan-do the developer due to his child trauma has built walls around himself and disconnected himself from the outside world. He kind of has a hard time being kind at all times and expressing himself. I think, personally, I feel for Nan-do more out of the two, because I can always be kind and gentle when I’m working or when outside of my home like Holo. However, upon returning home... there’s that sense of emptiness and depression sometimes. So, I think, the imperfect human being that is Nan-do really draws me to this character and that’s why I feel more for him.”

Sung-hee: “I share similarities, in that both of us are a little bit different when in terms of how we act when we’re working or when I’m outside among other people and also when I am alone, and in that sense, I really related to my character. And also I myself, I often hear, I think, I appear to be cold. However, So-yeon has a completely different character once you get to know her so that was another factor that really appealed to me. I do feel that the character So-yeon is a lot nicer, much more lovely and a lot more warmhearted that I actually am (laughs). She’s very considerate of other people so much to the point that sometimes I felt frustrated with the character. So, So-yeon is definitely a character that I related a lot to, but also someone that I learned a lot from.”

On preparing for their roles and learning new lessons as actors:

Sung-hee: “I’m mostly focused on how to really bring to light So-yeon having a relationship with an AI that is, of course, Holo, and in particular how to develop feelings for him, to love him. And also another thing was in terms of appearance, and how to maximize this sort of cold character that So-yeon had and also how she was a little bit more laidback when she was alone.

“Rather than something that I learned about myself, because there were so many factors in this series where it was a completely new challenge for me. Of course, there were difficulties... but I think I grew a lot as an actress. Also because it was a sci-fi genre and I had to work against the green screen. This was something that I was completely new to. However, I did learn a lot in that aspect. So, I feel like I can be a little bit more confident in the future if I were to start in a similar type of series.”

Hyun-min: “We’ve worked about a little over a year on this series and because it was a dual role that I had to play, it was very difficult. It was also my first-ever dual role. So, there were a lot of difficulties that came with that. But throughout the year, I think I focused mostly on my level of concentration and how not to break it. I would say that I focused mostly on the effectivity and capability in my acting.

“Last year, as I was working on this series, during that time... I was also very exhausted and I was a little bit sensitive due to all of the homework. However, now looking back last year, I think it was truly a valuable experience. The fact that I was able to take on my very first dual role as an actor has become an invaluable asset to me. And it has led me to achieve a lot of personal growth. And also what I felt was that the first part of the story about the lonely couple of man and a woman and a hologram in between, it’s rather a unique love triangle that we see. And I think at the end of the day, we all carry a sense of loneliness. We are all a little bit lonely. But ultimately, only people or only humans can can fill that void.”

On advice they would give the characters (and which viewers can learn from) on how to avoid loneliness:

Hyun-min: “If I were to give advice solely on the character played by Sung-hee here, I would like to say that if you feel alone or if you have a sense of loneliness, don’t take it all on yourself. Reach out, stretch out your hand because there is going to be someone that can help you, and of course, to all the journalists out there, if you’re ever lonely (laughs)...”

Sung-hee: “I think I would give similar advice to both Holo and Nan-do. I would say you are enough. Holo himself, though he’s AI, is enough. And he’s a character that is sometimes and in some parts better than a human being and Nan-do despite all the hurt inside him and the way he sort of isolates himself to be more lonely, I still want to say to Nan-do, you are enough. So, know that you are enough and that you are already such a wonderful and amazing human being.”