2012년 2월5일 한국전자통신연구원 책임연구원/공학박사 조영조
며칠 전 신생아와 똑같이 움직이는 아기 로봇이 세계 최대의 동영상 사이트 ‘유튜브(www.youtube.com)’에 올라와 있다는 뉴스를 접하고 사이트에 접속하여 영상물을 틀어 보았다. 2주간 70만이 넘는 조회 수를 기록한 이 동영상에서는 신생아를 닮은 로봇이 드러누워 바둥바둥 팔 다리를 흔들며 떼를 쓰는 것 같은 동작을 하는데, 피부를 씌워 놓았다면 방금 태어난 아기라고 이야기해도 믿을 수밖에 없을 정도였다. 이 로봇은 ‘애니매트로닉 베이비’로 소개되고 있었는데, 크리스 클락이라는 소품 디자이너가 신생아가 등장하는 TV 시리즈를 위해 제작한 것으로 알려졌다.
‘애니매트로닉스’라는 말은 생기를 불러 넣는다는 ‘애니매이트(animate)’와 기계전자공학을뜻하는 ‘메카트로닉스(mechatronics)’의 합성어로서, 영화 제작이나 놀이공원에서 사용되는 생명체의 모양과 동작을 똑같이 따라하는 기계전자장치를 통칭한다. 이전에 등장했던 유튜브의 애니매트로닉 베이비에 대한 유사 동영상들을 보면 피부를 입힌 아기 로봇도 등장하는데 외모 상으로 너무 사람과 닮아 섬뜩한 느낌마저 들었다.
이러한 섬뜩한 느낌을 일본의 로봇공학자 마사히로 모리 교수는 1970년 그의 논문에서 ‘혐오감의 계곡(uncanny valley)’이란 가설로 설명하였다. 로봇의 생김새나 행동이 사람과 유사하면 할수록 친밀감이 점차 올라가는데, 유사도가 어느 선에 도달하면 급격히 혐오감을 느끼게 된다는 것이다. 그러나 로봇이 더 발전하여 사람과 구별하기 어려울 경지에 이르면 다시 친밀감이 회복되고 더욱 높아진다고 한다.
2005년 일본 아이치 엑스포를 찾아 갔을 때 만났던 뉴스 아나운서 아야코 후지이의 아바타 로봇 ‘리플리’는 내게 처음으로 이 혐오감의 계곡을 느끼게 하였다. 외모와 표정은 놀라울 만큼 사람과 똑같아 취재 나온 아나운서인지 착각할 정도였으나, 가까이 가서 보았을 때 몸짓에서 베어 나오는 어색함에 “이게 뭐야?”하는 생각과 함께 혐오감이 밀려들었었다.
이러한 종류의 사람과 외모가 닮은 로봇을 ‘안드로이드’라고 부르는데, 오사카 대학의 히로시 이시구로 교수는 바로 이 리플리를 만들어 이 분야 연구에 불을 지피게 하였다. 우리나라에서도 비슷한 시기에 KAIST의 오준호 교수가 미국 헨슨 로보틱스와 합작하여 아인슈타인의 얼굴을 한 인간형 로봇 ‘앨버트 휴보’를 만들어 발표한 바 있고, 한국생산기술연구원에서는 노래하며 춤추는 안드로이드 여가수 ‘에버’를 선보인 바 있었다. 최근 이시구로 교수는 자신의 모습과 똑같은 안드로이드를 만들었는데, 자신의 연구실에 이 아바타 로봇을 놓고 원격 조작으로 학생들과 연구 활동을 하며 자신은 재택 근무를 하는 것이 꿈이라고 이야기하고 있다.
이제 로봇 기술은 점점 발달하여 적어도 생김새나 행동에서는 사람을 포함한 생명체를 복제할 수준에 까지 와 있다. 외견상으로는 생명체와 구별이 잘 안가서 혐오감의 계곡도 극복할 정도로 로봇을 만들어 낼 수 있을 것으로 보인다. 이 추세라면 사별한 사랑하는 가족이나 죽은 애완동물의 분신 로봇을 주문 생산하는 시대가 곧 올 것 같기도 하다. 주문할 때 생전의 모습을 담은 동영상을 보내주면 생김새와 행동을 그대로 따라 하는 로봇을 만들어서 제공하는 비즈니스가 생기지 않을까 하는 생각이다.
유전자 복제 개에 대한 비즈니스는 이미 줄기세포 논문 조작으로 유명했던 황우석 박사가 대표로 있는 에이치바이온사를 통해 이루어지고 있고, 미국의 한 여인은 자신의 죽은 개를 5만 달러라는 거액을 들여 복제시켜 행복감을 느끼고 있다는 보도도 나오고 있다. 그러나 유전자 복제는 생명 윤리에 대한 논란의 여지가 있는 만큼 복제 로봇에 대한 관심과 수요가 오히려 점점 높아져 갈 것으로 보인다.
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