South Korea’s music industry enters 'the AI Age' with virtual idols, voice cloning and humanoid performers
Whether the industry welcomes it or not, artificial intelligence has already become part of everyday life in K-pop.
Since the release of ChatGPT in late 2022 accelerated the commercialization of generative AI, the technology has reshaped productivity across industries — and K-pop has been no exception.
Three years on, major entertainment agencies are actively incorporating AI into music production, artist development and fan engagement, responding to an increasingly AI-driven global music market. Some have even unveiled robot idols, signaling how far the experimentation has gone.
So how has AI entered the K-pop ecosystem so far, and where is it headed next?
SM and Hybe: Two paths to AI adoption
Among K-pop’s “Big Four” agencies — Hybe, SM Entertainment, JYP Entertainment and YG Entertainment — SM was the first to articulate an AI-centered vision.
SM founder Lee Soo-man began predicting in the early 2010s that entertainme
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