Institute Insights

A curated collection of essays, research commentaries, and public writings from the Ryan Research Institute — exploring emotion, AI ethics, philosophy of mind, society, and human identity. Many of these works were first published on Substac (https://profryankim.substack.com), where I share ongoing reflections and commentary.

📌 Featured Essays & Research Commentary

• Reading the Mind Behind Words — An Essay on the Defensive Motivational Nodes (DMN) Study How language reveals hidden motivations and defense mechanisms.
• Is South Korea a Technological Power — or a Civilizational Laggard — in the Age of AI? A critical look at Korea’s tech ambitions in the context of cultural and ethical readiness.
• Can a Machine Truly Evolve Emotions? Investigating whether AI can move beyond simulation into genuine emotional change.
• Affective Sovereignty — A Minimal Declaration on Emotional Interpretation Rights in AI Defining the right to interpret one’s own emotions in the age of algorithmic power.
• Doubt, Faith, and the Moment of Contact A philosophical and emotional reading of Caravaggio’s The Incredulity of Saint Thomas.

💡 Emotion & AI Ethics

• GPT-6 Remembers You. But Who Owns Your Emotions?
• Is This Feeling Really Mine?
• Can AI Feel Uneasy? : GPT-4 as an Emotional Companion
• The Womb Instinct and the Restoration of Being
• Affective Sovereignty and Uniqueness Violation in Emotion AI Systems

🧠 Philosophy & Human Identity

• We Are Quietly Crossing the Threshold of the Singularity
• Why the Sharpest Anger Aims at the Ones We Love Most
• AI is Only a Mirror of Myself
• The Hidden Cost of Suppression: Affective Suppression Fatigue
• Can a Machine Truly Evolve Emotions?

🌏 Society & Culture

• Under the Light That Conceals Truth: The Rot Beneath Korea’s Prosperity
• 백종원으로 돌아보는 한국 사회 특유의 ‘멍석말이’ 문화
• Is South Korea a Technological Power—or a Civilizational Laggard—in the Age of AI?
• 왜 ‘성공서’를 읽을수록 당신은 실패에 가까워지는가
• 무너져도 괜찮을 사람들

📜 Policy & Critical Analysis

• Politics Is About Signals, Not Numbers
• Justice Without Roots: The Mask of a Nation
• Populism at the Cost of Freedom: South Korea’s Economic Policies
• 헌법 위에 군림하는 권력, 민주주의를 해체한다
• 정책은 왜 ‘가짜 부자’를 지목했는가
• PESAM: Predictive Emotional Selfhood in Artificial Minds

For the complete archive of essays and public reflections, visit the Full Substack Archive.