Korea is proof that light still exists, French novelist says

French novelist Bernard Werber, speaking at the Seoul International Book Fair, said artificial intelligence is a past concern and that humanity's future depends on spiritual maturity and a restored relationship with nature. He praised South Korea as proof that hope exists despite a painful history.

Bernard Werber, in Seoul for book fair, reflects on AI and obscurantism For bestselling French novelist Bernard Werber, artificial intelligence is already yesterday's question. Speaking at a press conference Thursday during the Seoul International Book Fair, where France is the guest of honor, marking the 140th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Werber said that humanity has always lived through technological upheaval. "AI has become such a major topic that it has generated enormous fear," the 64-year-old writer said. "But every scientific discovery can either benefit humanity or be misused. Fire was like that. Radiation was like that. Artificial intelligence is simply another tool." Werber noted that he explored artificial intelligence decades ago in his 2001 novel "Ultimate Secret," a thriller that begins with the mysterious death of a neuropsychiatrist who defeats a computer at chess. "AI is now a subject of the past for me," he said. "What interests me today is how human consciousness must evolve. We should be thinking about how people can live better. What we need now is a change in consciousness." He said humanity's future depends on spiritual maturity and a restored relationship with nature. "What we need now is not greater intellectual ability but greater consciousness. The future lies in spirituality," he said. "Also, with a global population of 8.5 billion constantly destroying nature while consuming paper, plastic and oil at an unsustainable rate, it is obvious that this way of living cannot continue.” The author is visiting Seoul to introduce the Korean edition of his latest novel, "The Waltz of Souls," which he described as "a book that looks to the past to see the future." The novel pushes the idea of revisiting history to its limits. It follows Eugenie Toledano as she visits her past lives in an effort to prevent the apocalypse. Her first journey takes her back 120,000 years, into the body of a Neanderthal living at the dawn of humanity's discovery of fire, only to be massacred by Homo sapiens. Werber said the premise grew out of his long-standing fascination with past-life regression meditation. "I've been exploring past lives through regression meditation for many years," he said, adding that one psychic had told him he had lived 111 past lives. "We naturally become absorbed in our current lives, but these experiences allow us to imagine other possibilities. I can't claim that everything I see is objectively real. Rather than a matter of faith or belief, I see it as a kind of experiment. Above all, it has been an extraordinary source of inspiration for my novels." In the novel, Eugenie's world is one in which hatred and violence have become part of daily life, and community has collapsed into what Werber describes as an apocalypse. He said he continually asks where humanity might find the clues needed to avert catastrophe. "History is usually written by the victors. What I wanted to record in this novel are the many moments history overlooks — stories told from the perspective of people who disappeared, who were less violent than the victors, whose survival might have made the world more peaceful.” Werber said he sees human history as a perpetual struggle between obscurantism and enlightenment. "There are forces that seek to drag us backward into barbarism and servitude, and there are forces that seek to elevate the human spirit and help it mature," he said. "The history of humanity is ultimately the history of enlightenment fighting against obscurantism." "Even today, movements continue to push humanity back into darkness." Werber also spoke warmly of South Korea, describing its history as a source of resilience and hope. "You are the children of a miracle," he told the audience, referring to Korea's history of invasions, war and hardship from Russia, China and Japan. "I love coming to Korea because I feel it is a country whose painful past has made it especially determined to build the future," he said. "Korea has repeatedly endured aggression and overcome it through the strength of its people. Korea is proof that light still exists. Korea knows how to overcome obscurantism." Werber will continue his visit with a conversation Sunday at the Seoul International Book Fair with behavioral ecologist Choe Jae-chun, followed by a book talk at Gyeonggi Library. His schedule also includes a lecture at Pohang University of Science and Technology on July 3 and a book talk hosted by Alliance Francaise Seoul on July 5. hwangdh@heraldcorp.com