The Korea Herald

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[Advertorial] Samsung Electronics releases web drama on AI, dystopian future

By Cho Chung-un

Published : Sept. 27, 2018 - 16:08

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Samsung Electronics unveiled its fifth web drama series “Ambergris” earlier this month, depicting a dystopian future where humanism is revived with the help of artificial intelligence.

The story is of a woman taking a life-risking journey to find a whale in the sea in 2053, when the world is on the brink of the apocalypse due to severe micro dust.

The main character, played by I.O.I’s Kim So-hye, longs for a whale she saw with her mother years ago, replaying her memories with virtual reality devices at her home in Seoul. She seeks comfort in her solitary life in her underground flat with an AI hologram assistant, but hits the deserted roads to find the sea and the whale, following her childhood memory. She travels by herself in an environment where micro dust levels surpass 1,500 micrograms per cubic meter, about 10 times worse than today, but has her AI assistant as her friend throughout her journey. On her way, she meets other people including a TV weather caster played by Yang Dong-geun, who also longs for the clean world before the environment’s disaster.

Planned by Samsung Electronics and directed by Cheil Industries, the web drama is the first science fiction series from Samsung.

“We decided to depict the future under attack of micro dust, which people today also struggle with,” said Shin Woo-suk who directed the drama.

“I wanted to show that the future can be bright if human and AI help each other.”

Unlike other sci-fi films that often depict a world where humanity has been defeated by advanced technologies and machines, Samsung’s “Ambergris,” unsurprisingly, tells the story of AI and technologies solving urgent environmental and social issues, similar to the South Korean tech giant’s corporate philosophy.

Appearing as a child or goldfish, AI holograms provide information as well as reading human emotions in their interactions.

The four-part web drama is available on YouTube and other social media platforms.  

Poster for Samsung Electronics’ “Ambergris”(Samsung Electronics) Poster for Samsung Electronics’ “Ambergris”(Samsung Electronics)