Will K-Pop’s AI experiment pay off?

There’s an issue that’s currently dividing K-Pop fans: artificial intelligence.

Some of the genre’s biggest stars, including boy band Seventeen, use the technology to produce their music videos and write their lyrics.

The South Korean group sold about 16 million albums last year, making them one of the most successful groups in K-pop history, but it’s their latest album and single, “Maestro,” that has people talking.

The music videos feature AI-generated scenes, and the album may even feature AI-generated lyrics: At the album’s launch in Seoul, band member Woozi told reporters that the group is “experimenting” with AI for songwriting.

“Rather than complaining about technology, I want to evolve with it, so I practiced using AI to create songs,” he said.

“This is a technological development that we have to embrace, not just complain about. I’ve been hands-on with AI, trying to find its pros and cons.”

Fans are divided on K-pop discussion pages, with some calling for further regulation before the technology becomes more widespread.

Others, including avid AI fan Ashley Peralta, were more positive: “If AI can help artists overcome creative block, that’s good for me,” says the 26-year-old Peralta.

But she worries that an entire album made up of AI-generated lyrics could make fans lose the connection with their favorite musicians.

“I like it when the music reflects the artist and their emotions,” she says. “K-pop artists are much more respected when they create their own choreography, lyrics and music, because it conveys some of their thoughts and feelings.”

“AI could take away a key element of the connection between fans and artists.”

Ashley co-hosts the K-pop fan podcast “Spill the Soju” with her best friend Chelsea Toledo, who admires the fact that Seventeen is a self-produced group — they write their own songs and choreograph — but worries that AI will affect their reputation.

“If they were to release an album full of lyrics they didn’t write themselves, I don’t think it would sound like SEVENTEEN anymore, and I think fans want real SEVENTEEN music.”

For those involved in K-pop production, it’s no surprise to see artists embracing new technology.

Chris Nairn is a producer, composer and songwriter who goes by the name Azodi. For the past 12 years, he has written for K-Pop artists such as Kim Woo-jin and major agency SM Entertainment.

Working with K-pop stars means Chris, who lives in Brighton, spends a lot of time immersed in the South Korean music industry, which he describes as progressive.

“What I learned from my time in Seoul is that Koreans are big on innovation and they ask themselves, ‘What’s next?’ and ‘How can we stay ahead?’ I really felt that during my time in Seoul,” he says.

“So to me, it’s no surprise that they’re introducing AI into lyric writing. It’s a way to keep up with technology.”

Is AI the future of K-pop? Kris doesn’t think so. As an experimenter with AI lyric generators, he feels the lyrics aren’t powerful enough to be worthy of top artists.

“AI is putting out some pretty high-quality work, but when you get to the top echelons of composition, the best people are generally the ones innovating and creating something entirely new. AI works off of what’s already been uploaded, so it can’t innovate on its own.”

Chris predicts that AI in K-pop will increase the demand for more personal songs.

“There will be pressure from fans to hear lyrics that are from the heart of the artist, so it will sound different to songs made using AI.”

SEVENTEEN isn’t the only K-pop band experimenting with AI. Girl group Aespa, which has some AI members as well as humans, also used the technology in their latest music video, Supernova, which generates scenes in which the band members’ faces stay still and only their mouths move.

Chelsea, a podcaster and avid fan, said the incident “inspired” many people.

“K-pop is known for its amazing production and editing, so having an entire scene made by AI would take away half of the appeal,” she added.

Chelsea also worries that artists won’t get the credit they deserve: “When AI is used in videos, it makes it harder to know if someone’s original work has been plagiarized. It’s a really sensitive issue.”

Arpita Aditya is a music journalist and self-described K-pop aficionado, who believes the industry’s use of AI is a sign of pressure on artists to create new content.

“Most artists release albums every two years, but K-pop groups release albums every six to eight months because there are such high expectations.”

She also believes AI has become commonplace in the industry with the introduction of AI covers, which have exploded in popularity on YouTube and are created by fans, using technology to mimic the voices of other artists.

It’s a trend that Arpita wants to see curbed, and which Western artists also want to see curbed.

Last month, megastars including Billie Eilish and Nicki Minaj penned an open letter calling for an end to the “predatory” use of AI in the music industry.

They called on tech companies to pledge not to develop AI music-generation tools that “detract from or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists, or deny us fair compensation for our work.”

For Arpita, the lack of regulation means fans feel obligated to regulate what is and isn’t allowed.

“There are no clear guidelines on to what extent artists can or can’t use AI, but we draw our own boundaries and it’s a struggle to constantly ask ourselves, ‘what is right and what is wrong?'”

Thankfully, she feels K-pop artists are aware of public opinion and are hopeful that change will come.

“Fans are the biggest part and have a lot of influence over artists. The group is always willing to learn and listen. If SEVENTEEN and AESPA realize that they are hurting their fans, they will address it.”