Pluto_

          While ethnography refers to the scientific description of cultures with participatory observation, traditionally a research method in the field of anthropology, digital ethnography, the systematic study of online cultures, has become more relevant and important in the era of the internet. On the one hand, the virtual space has liberated the users from their physical bodies, for example, via avatars. On the other hand, stereotypes may exacerbate, and a new form of a gap between the virtual world and the AFK world may have been created, that is, how people of different social classes approach the internet differently and how some people can’t live without the internet, while the others haven’t touched it at all (Graffam, 2012). For example, some people have been considered to be “remote” from the “mainstream” world, occupying the rainforest, desert, etc. Some of them have remained “remote”, and others have been “revealed” by some ethnographers. Would they ever have access to the internet? Would they enjoy virtual space? Would it be necessary for them to join virtual globalization?

          Our planet has more cultures than we thought, or, than the “mainstream” world is aware of. Anthropologists have recorded at least 3814 cultures, which is an underestimate, without counting the ancient civilizations that existed or the cultures that haven’t been discovered (Foley and Lahr, 2011). If the “mainstream” world has taken the step to enter the post-human era, that is, digitalize themselves, (Graffam, 2012) is it fair to leave out (or force in) the cultures that do not have as much access to digital devices? Whether choosing to embrace the internet or not is always their choice, but I think the “mainstream” world always has a responsibility to take them into consideration, especially in the trend of post-human society with the aspect of digitalization.

          I have pitched an interactive ethnography in VR, a program called Pluto_, after I studied interactive narrative last semester. While it involves both “digital” and “ethnography”, it is not the digital ethnography where researchers conduct participatory observation in certain digital spaces, such as video games, social media, etc. I intended it to be where “traditional” ethnography is recorded within VR, and users can interactively experience it like an ethnographer. The reason it is called Pluto_ is that the Earth civilization museum in the Three Body Problem is located on Pluto. I believe that learning cultures immersively with the least amount of pre-set judgments is essential to reduce cultural misunderstandings and increase awareness of underrepresented cultures.

          I have made the prototype of Pluto_ with Sketchbox, and I use the Navajo Nation as an example (source). I imagine that the NPCs of the Navajo people would be AIs, each with their unique personas and stories, and can interact with the user like a human being. After I studied ethnography and post-humanism (AIs, avatars, etc.), I would like to pitch it as a research project, and potentially, a design project as well. The users can choose who to talk to, develop relationships with, etc. They can take the initiative to start a conversation with an NPC, and vice versa, similar to the user, who is a human being. While the users may be liberated from their physical bodies to experience interactive ethnography in VR, the NPCs are “liberated” from their virtual bodies to move around as well. When the user is offline or talking to a certain NPC, the world in Pluto_ goes on, and the stories of other NPCs go on as well. The user can affect the NPCs, and vice versa, but neither can determine their experience in Pluto_. 

          However, one possible problem could be the database of the AI NPCs. Originally, I wanted the storylines of the NPCs to be based on real people to make the experience reliable and convincing. However, now, I think it not only involves the willingness and privacies of those people but also the subject of digital mortality. If the character prototype died or has been dead, and their stories are transformed into the virtual world and they can further interact with people, are they still alive? Have they lost their “human dignity” (Bostrom, 2005)? On the other hand, current AIs feed on databases and input prompts, but these “remote” cultures usually do not have sufficient information. It would be challenging to make these AIs appear human, but unlike ChatGPT or LaMDA, the information being provided has to be true in addition to seeming fluent. However, whether AI should be allowed to mimic humans and whether users should treat AI NPCs as machines or humans (whether they are conscious or appear conscious) are still under debate (Bratton and Arcas, 2022). If Pluto_ would be used for educational purposes at schools and museums especially, should it be stated explicitly how AIs work differently than humans?

Another problem may be whether these cultures want to be represented in a VR program. Each culture has its unique worldviews, and a digital immersive space, involving AIs, may conflict with their spiritual beliefs. I do not have a specific example where a certain culture is against VR or AI, but witchcraft can be associated with development (Smith, 2008), so there may always be something beyond the understanding of the “mainstream” world that should be taken into consideration. Furthermore, would representing “remote” cultures with AI or in VR, two non-human agents, be a form of not only post-humanism but also racialization and post-colonialism (Winnubst, 2018)? Would representing every culture, not only “remote” cultures but also “mainstream” cultures, in these virtual forms, ease the problem, such as the “Nacirema” (Miner, 1956)?

          Although Pluto_ may have some potential problems, at least it can provide a research opportunity to study the interaction between “mainstream” cultures and “remote” cultures, “mainstream” cultures and “mainstream” cultures, human and AI, AI and AI, etc. That is, there could be a digital ethnography studying the digital ethnography in Pluto_. Hopefully, the VR program can reduce cultural misunderstandings and increase awareness of underrepresented cultures with anthropological accuracy and interactive design. However, the ultimate question may be that VR, as a form of X-reality, bridges the virtual world and the AFK world (Won et al., 2015). Indeed, the virtual experience will probably have some influence on the users, but will the result always come out ideal?