Success for virtual artists relies on real connection with fans: MWM music conference talks AI

At the MWM music conference, experts discussed how technology will lead to an oversaturation of virtual artists, with success dependent on a real connection with fans.

Culture critic Jung Duk-hyun gives a speech at the 2024 MWM Conference on Sept. 26 in central Seoul. [YONHAP]

The development of technology will soon open doors for anyone to create their very own virtual artists, the survival of which will come down to the quality of a well-told story, according to experts in the so-called virtual human industry who gathered at the MWM music conference in Seoul on Thursday.

Organized by the Korea Music Content Association, this year’s MWM was held in tandem with the Korea Creative Content Agency’s MU:CON fair at the Grand Hyatt Seoul in Yongsan District, central Seoul.

This year’s theme was "Expansion of K-pop: AI and Virtual Artists,” with speakers specializing in virtual humans or related phenomena: culture critic Jung Duk-hyun, co-founder and CEO of voice AI startup Supertone Lee Kyo-gu, president of the Korea Virtual Human Industry Association Seo Kook-han, head of Riot Games Korea Music Jay Kim, founder and CEO of virtual idol broadcaster MetaLocat Lee Sang-heon, CEO of music tech startup Emotion Wave Rio Jang and chief producer Kim Young-min.

“Virtual artists are already marking themselves down as a crucial pillar of the entertainment industry,” Supertone’s Lee said. “The tools will soon allow anyone to turn themselves into virtual artists, which will inevitably lead to overproduction. It is amid this extreme flood that people will have to differentiate themselves with stories that will appeal to the public in ways that other people can’t.”

In fact, K-pop has increasingly been seeing virtual idols in the scene that are gaining presence not only among the K-pop fans but the general public. Iconic names include boy band Plave and girl groups Isegye Idol, Stellive and MAVE:. SM Entertainment also recently rolled out a virtual singer named naevis earlier this month.

Lee Kyo-gu, CEO of AI voice startup Supertone, gives a speech at the 2024 MWM Conference on Sept. 26 in central Seoul. [KMCA]

Plave was especially highlighted during Thursday’s conference by multiple speakers including culture critic Jung, who had worked as the PR leader at Adamsoft, the Korean tech company that debuted the country's very first virtual singer, Adam, in 1998.

“One of the reasons that Plave is being loved so much is the very human touch they bring to the audience,” the critic said in his presentation. “The members make light of the technical glitches that arise from the imperfect technologies during their live communication sessions, and that’s what helps the audience engage deeper with these artists. Real-time graphics technology has allowed all of this to happen and it’s almost becoming a common technology.”

Jung also highlighted the importance of the human touch and emotions to appeal to the public amid stiff competition.

"Quite soon in the future, we'll be enjoying entertainment content so much more on the metaverse space than we imagine right now," he said. "And when that time comes, people who can cater to the individual needs of consumers and their desires will be the ones leading the way."

BY YOON SO-YEON [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]