Lee Soo Man Addresses The Potential Integration Of AI Technology Into The K-Pop Industry During A Keynote Speech

The International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) held its annual general meeting at the Conrad Hotel in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo, Seoul, on May 30, KST. Lee Soo Man, the founder and former chief producer of SM Entertainment, made an appearance at the gathering. As the keynote speaker at this event, Lee Soo Man shared his insights on the fusion of K-Pop and the AI sector. The former SM Entertainment producer began his speech by reflecting on the beginning of his career. He revealed, “I was once a scientific and engineering student who liked computers and machines, dreamed of a world of robots, and received a master’s degree in computer engineering, even though I became a vocalist when I was young. But I finally became a singer, guitarist, and producer because I loved singing more, and that’s how I got to where I am now.” He continued, saying, “I used to be a vocalist, but I also wrote music and lyrics. I sought to industrialize the music industry when I created SM. I made K-pop and took the idol business in South Korea global. Intellectual property rights emerged as my most valuable asset during this process and served as the catalyst for the K-pop industry’s growth.” “K-Pop is a field requiring a significant amount of initial investment,” he continued. We take years to train and develop singers before they perform live. Our K-pop has produced music that is astounding to the globe through this technique.” “Copyrights protect artists’ rights, provide them material compensation, and enable them to carry out their artistic endeavors,” the producer stressed. SM is the owner of multiple copyrights for content, including as songs, albums, and performances. A lot of illicit tapes were around at first. Users can now be traced with identification codes attached. I see how significant the advancements made in copyright protection have been when I reflect on the past.” Regarding AI, Lee Soo Man noted, “AI and chatbot technologies are fast transforming the ways we communicate today. More and more appealing models that resemble humans are winning over admirers. They also began having real-time conversations with their followers. AI chatbots have the potential to become people’s closest friends and even romantic partners. With his statement, “This technology will greatly contribute to improved communication with fans worldwide,” he demonstrated his trust in the fusion of AI and K-Pop. AI and K-pop have been combined to create a hybrid culture that promises to allow for extensive fan participation. AI is already incredibly powerful when it comes to creating images and text. However, it’s also true that as AI develops, problems like plagiarism, illicit copying and distribution, copyright infringement, and the exposure of unprotected creative works could surface and cause financial losses for authors.” He contended that in order to avoid these problems, “unambiguous copyright laws must be passed, and copyright infringement prevention technology must be developed and standardized globally. AI chatbots, avatars, and robots ought to be given some sort of ID card, in my opinion, so that they can be integrated into a real-name system.” In the meanwhile, internal management conflicts caused Lee Soo Man to depart SM Entertainment in March 2023. This day’s presence was his first in about nine months as a public figure at a domestic event. The news that Lee Soo Man had filed a trademark application for a company named “A20 Entertainment” recently sparked rumors about his potential comeback to the entertainment sector.