TLDR: Award-winning Chinese-American author Ken Liu, known for his “silkpunk” genre, recently shared his optimistic views on artificial intelligence, its impact on art, and his ongoing exploration of modernity and American identity during his visit to South Korea. He emphasizes that science fiction serves as a “modern mythology” to understand human nature through technology, rather than predicting the future.
During his recent visit to South Korea in September 2025, acclaimed Chinese-American science fiction writer Ken Liu engaged in profound discussions regarding artificial intelligence (AI), the essence of modernity, and the multifaceted nature of American identity. Liu, a recipient of prestigious awards including the Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy Awards for works like “The Paper Menagerie,” presented himself as an “AI optimist” despite widespread concerns about AI’s potential to replace human creativity.
Liu acknowledged that AI has developed by “appropriating artists’ intellectual creations,” but expressed greater interest in AI’s capacity to “create new forms of art that humans have not been able to.” He posits that technology, including AI, is an intrinsic part of human nature, making it challenging to comprehend humanity without it. For Liu, science fiction functions as a genre that “expresses human nature through the subject of technology,” aiming to create “modern mythology” rather than predict the future. He views machines as symbols within these narratives.
Liu’s background is notably diverse, encompassing a Harvard literature degree, a stint as a Microsoft programmer, a law firm attorney, and an intellectual property rights specialist before becoming a full-time writer in 2002. He also gained significant recognition for translating Liu Cixin’s “The Three-Body Problem” into English.
The author also touched upon his upcoming novel, All That We See or Seem, slated for release in the U.S. next month (October 2025). The novel explores a character’s revelation that “The problem isn’t that machines become intelligent and conscious, but that humans treat each other as mere AI, not as humans.”
His works consistently delve into the question of “What is modernity?” Liu highlighted that each nation’s journey to modernity reveals unique stories, expressing a particular desire to understand South Korea’s rapid modernization. He also sees himself as an American author telling “fundamentally American” stories, reflecting on the pursuit of the American dream and life in a society undergoing significant change.
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Regarding the future of books, Liu stated, “I don’t think we necessarily have to stick to any one form of media, and I don’t think there’s any reason to think that books will be forever because humans have always changed. Maybe we can find other alternatives that are much more meaningful than books.”
