[AI Revolution](65) Reducing Work and Doubling Fun... Naver Webtoon Evolved with AI

From Webtoons We Watch to Webtoons We Enjoy
New Experiments Combining AI with Content

"What would I look like transformed into a character from the webtoon 'Yumi's Cells'?" Readers who enjoy webtoons have probably wondered this. Naver Webtoon realized this idea through 'Toon Filter.' This service uses artificial intelligence (AI) to mimic the art style of popular webtoon artists and transform any photo into a scene from a webtoon. It takes the experience from simply watching webtoons to actively enjoying them. Toon Filter gained popularity through word of mouth overseas. After its beta release in May, it generated over 20 million images within a week. Seasonal services in countries like Thailand, France, and North America produced more than 60 million images. The success of Toon Filter led to an influx of Naver Webtoon users. After the filter’s release, the number of new users of the Naver Webtoon app increased nearly fivefold compared to the previous week.

Naver Webtoon 'Toon Filter' is a service that allows you to transform your desired photos into the art style of your favorite webtoon works.
[Photo by Naver Webtoon]

Utilizing AI from Webtoon Creation to Copyright Protection

Naver Webtoon leverages AI technology in two main ways. One is in the reader service area, recommending personalized webtoons or providing entertainment using webtoon intellectual property (IP). The other is as a tool for creators. The 'Webtoon AI Painter' is a prime example. Creators select colors and touch the desired areas, and AI applies the colors naturally. The AI has learned from 300,000 images across more than 1,500 works serialized on Naver Webtoon. This simplifies coloring, much like how manual tasks such as drawing cut lines or speech bubbles in paper comics have been replaced by a few drags or clicks.

AI is also employed to protect creators’ rights. Since 2017, Naver Webtoon has used the 'Toon Radar' technology to track illegal reproductions domestically and internationally. Toon Radar embeds tracking programs in webtoons to identify those who illegally distribute content and prevent redistribution. Since 2018, AI with computer vision capabilities has been applied to Toon Radar. Additionally, machine learning-based technology predicts and blocks risky accounts involved in crimes. By blocking accounts of illegal leakers and restricting access to works, Toon Radar has delayed illegal distribution of webtoons. Whereas illegal distribution used to occur within a day of a work’s release, Toon Radar has extended this delay to 3 to 4 weeks. Since illegal distribution typically happens before paid webtoons are converted to free versions, delaying distribution alone effectively protects copyrights. The economic value of copyrights protected by Toon Radar amounts to approximately 300 billion KRW annually.

Naver Webtoon delayed illegal distribution by about 25 days compared to other platforms after applying Toon Radar.
[Photo by Naver Webtoon]

Recently, Naver Webtoon has been developing AI creative tools for individual artists. When AI uses multiple creators’ works simultaneously, copyright controversies may arise. This is why Naver Webtoon is creating tools that learn a specific artist’s images and can only be used by that artist.

South Korea’s Only AI Technology Organization Specialized in Webtoons

The reason Naver Webtoon has been able to utilize AI in various ways is due to its investment in technology. In 2019, it internalized technology by acquiring the AI startup V.DOT, which specialized in computer vision. In 2020, it established the Webtoon AI Office under its technology division, and since last year, it has separated this into an independent organization called Webtoon AI. It is the only organization in South Korea dedicated to researching AI specialized in content such as webtoons and web novels. In July, data personnel scattered across departments were consolidated and merged with Webtoon AI. With the reorganization into Webtoon AI & Data, the workforce grew from about 40 to over 100 employees.

The goal is to refine business models by combining webtoon-related data with AI technology. The data accumulated from serializing hundreds of works annually is a powerful asset. It analyzes not only which works users like but also the times when webtoons are most viewed and purchased, as well as reading speeds. This is to find the optimal exposure method depending on the service language, country, and user. In the domestic market, the success of a new webtoon is determined within 48 hours of release. Given the fierce competition, effectively delivering works is crucial. Kim Dae-sik, lead of Naver Webtoon AI & Data, said, "We have accumulated diverse data while servicing attractive content worldwide. By adding AI to this, we will experiment to break the mold of existing services."