[BEHIND TALK] AI made music for MBTI vs Saju, Expedition to Maya, and Europe Outside Your Tent? Generative AI, the future of K-Content

The environment for creating content is evolving rapidly with the development of IT technology. AI, or artificial intelligence, is the hottest topic discussed in the IT industry. However, is the emergence of AI in the content industry a threat or an opportunity? Let’s take a look at the conversation between pop columnist Kim Tae-hoon and digital media expert Kang Jeong-su on generative AI, which is said to be the future of Korean content.

Generative AI’s Appearance in the Content Industry

Recently, AI, especially the “Large Language Model (LLM)” or “Generative AI” technologies, has become the hottest topic in the IT industry. Generative AI, which refers to artificial intelligence that is capable of generating content, is currently emerging in various fields and is considered an innovative technology that will change the world significantly over the next decade.

Generative AI refers to AI technology that creates various contents, such as conversations, stories, images, videos, and music, when a user inputs a command. When the user inputs a specific command, an answer is derived accordingly. For example, we can obtain a desirable answer by specifying the who, what, when, where, and how, like the sentence, “Express the pleasant feelings of a woman on the beach in Bali through music.” The technology can be used in various ways, regardless of gender, age, or field of profession. Even virtual idol groups are being created with Generative AI.

AI Will Bring Diversity to Creativity

Artificial intelligence is contributing significantly to content creation activities. When writing a novel with Generative AI, anyone can obtain the desired results by inputting information such as the number of characters, each character’s personality, genre, and composition. Inputting a more specific and detailed command enhances the quality of the content and increases utilization. Therefore, it is suggested that the language we need to learn in the future is a “technical language” used to give commands to AI.

CJ ENM Utilizes the Endless Advancements in AI

Recently, there has been a trend of AI cover songs generated by mimicking the voice of specific individuals, such as NewJeans’ “Hype Boy” sung in the voice of Bruno Mars. We're also seeing a rise in the number of cases where AI produces music for movies or dramas with such new technologies. 

In Korea, CJ ENM actively used AI to create music for the programs MBTI vs. Saju, Expedition to Maya, and Europe Outside Your Tent, in collaboration with Pozalabs, an AI music generation startup. Along with the use of AI-generated background music, Hollywood has been replacing movie actors with digital humans and utilizing deepfake technologies.

Like so, Generative AI is creating an inflection point in the content industry. Technology has advanced to an extent where anyone can create with world-famous figures. Recently, Paramount Pictures recreated Harrison Ford in his younger years through a de-aging technology in a new series of Indiana Jones. Digital technology is already being used abroad in various ways, such as recreating the deceased as AI humans using images from when they were alive and featuring them in new movies. However, as technology advances faster than our value judgment, the possible damages caused by deepfake technology must be discussed continuously.

Is AI an Opportunity for the Content Industry? Or is it a Threat?

Generative AI is already being widely used for content creation. What is the content industry’s perspective on AI? First, entrepreneurs are generally showing positive reactions because AI significantly reduces production costs. Recently, Hollywood has been actively utilizing AI to reduce the need to re-shoot scenes by using AI to fix scenes during post-production or create new scenes that weren’t actually filmed.

On the other hand, the copyright industry and creators see the introduction of AI as a threat. This year, SAG-AFTRA carried out a massive strike, making history as the first strike of humanity against artificial intelligence. In particular, writers demanded the prohibition of AIs being educated with their creations to prevent copyright infringement. The fact that such a strike was initiated in the content creation industry proves that artificial intelligence is widely used in the field.

If the current law fails to solve the side effects arising from ambiguous standards for copyright and creation, a new discussion on copyright will be necessary. Copyright laws must also be restructured in pace with the development and popularization of technology. Since copyright is essential for all artists, the compensation system for “real creators” should be the utmost priority in discussions to solve the issues.

Will All Creators Vanish in the Future?

Will the development of AI leave no place for artists to stand? We can find the answer to that question in the movie Oppenheimer. Christopher Nolan, the director of Oppenheimer, is famous for avoiding the use of CGI in his movies. The nuclear explosion scene in Oppenheimer also drew much attention for not using CGI. Like so, emphasizing “humanness” in the AI and digital era can be a huge appeal to the viewers. Even if artificial intelligence continues to expand, top artists remain unaffected. And as technology advances, more people tend to seek humanness as a signal of value in the AI era.

Moreover, if we enter an era where content is mainly created by AI, not humans, fully human-made works created entirely by humans and filmed on-site without CGI may attract greater attention. In the future, films with the title “Human Only” may be treated as authentic reality blockbuster films.

How to Use AI While Protecting Rights 

AI provides opportunities to those who utilize it, but it can be a threat to those who push it away. To coexist with AI, we must actively use it but also consider how to resolve its side effects. As technology advances, side effects are bound to follow. However, humanity has progressed steadily while resolving such issues. It is vital to solve and evolve from the issues posed by AI rather than unconditionally rejecting it out of fear of the side effects.

AI is a double-edged sword. Ultimately, those who use it wisely will be the winners. We hope to see creators respond to this with wisdom and look forward to a future where AI contributes positively to the development of the world.

※BEHIND TALK was created based on Con Ssul Ting from CJ ENM’s YouTube channel.