SEOUL: AI humans are becoming mainstream in South Korea, as they sing, read the news, and sell luxury goods on TV. Zaein, a virtual human created by Pulse9, an AI company, is one of the most active virtual humans in the country. Pulse9 has developed digital humans for major conglomerates such as Shinsegae. It is estimated that the global market for such creations could reach up to US$527 billion by 2030. In South Korea, AI humans have enrolled in universities, interned at major companies, and even appeared on live television, driving the sellouts of various products.
Park Ji-eun, the CEO of Pulse9, mentioned that her company is working on expanding the use of AI humans. She claims that virtual humans are capable of performing many tasks that real humans can do, but acknowledges that current AI technology still requires human involvement. The demand for AI humans in South Korea initially came from the K-pop industry, which wanted virtual idols that could work 24/7 without any scandals. However, Pulse9 is now expanding the roles of virtual humans to show that they can coexist with humans as colleagues and friends.
Zaein’s face was created through a deep learning analysis of the faces of K-pop stars over the past two decades. The deepfake is then overlaid on a human actor to bring her to life. More than 10 human actors with different talents help animate Zaein, making her unique. To ensure their anonymity, Pulse9 conceals the identities of all human actors and does not display their real faces.
Pulse9 is developing new virtual idols, virtual influencers, and virtual sales agents to address the recruitment challenges faced by South Korean conglomerates due to the country’s low birthrate. Park believes that better regulations are needed to govern the use of AI, but she is not worried about the potential risks associated with the technology. She believes that when used properly, AI can enhance the richness of life. However, Kim Myuhng-joo, a professor of information security, warns that deepfakes can make it difficult to distinguish between what is real and fake, which can lead to harm and trouble for individuals.
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
