LGU+ Supports aespa's 5th Member 'NaiVis' Activities with AI

LGU+·SM Generative AI Content Development MOU
Producing Naivis Music Video and Shorts Using AI

LG Uplus is supporting the content production of SM Entertainment's first virtual artist 'Naibis' by utilizing its own artificial intelligence. Naibis appeared in music videos such as 'Next Level' and 'Savage' by SM Entertainment group singer 'aespa'.

Photo by Yonhap News Agency. Provided by SM Entertainment

On the 31st, LG Uplus announced that it signed a business agreement for generative artificial intelligence (AI)-based content development cooperation with SM Entertainment (hereinafter SM) at the SM headquarters in Seongsu-dong, Seoul on the 29th.

The signing ceremony was attended by key officials including LG Uplus Consumer Division Head Jung Su-heon, Marketing Group Head Jung Hye-yoon, AI Tech Lab Head Han Young-seop, Integrated Brand Marketing Team Head Kim Hee-jin, SM Co-CEO Tak Young-joon, Chief Creative Officer (CCO) Park Jun-young, Virtual IP Business Unit Head Lee Jong-ho, and Virtual IP Content Unit Head Kim Seon-taek.

Through this business agreement, LG Uplus will use its self-developed generative AI 'ixi-GEN' to produce content for SM's first virtual artist 'Naibis'. Using images and videos generated by ixi-GEN, they plan to create music videos, shorts, merchandise, and provide them to fans.

By combining AI with the virtual artist, SM aims to create a new cultural genre, and LG Uplus expects to achieve marketing and branding effects by showcasing content using ixi-GEN.

Jung Su-heon, Head of Consumer Division at LG Uplus (left), and Tak Young-joon, CEO of SM Entertainment, are holding a business agreement ceremony and taking a commemorative photo at the SM headquarters in Seongsu-dong, Seoul on the 29th. Photo by LG Uplus

Since early this year, LG Uplus has been carrying out the 'ixi Production' project, which innovates all areas of marketing centered on AI, and is developing innovative AI services. The collaboration with SM is part of the ixi Production activities.

Jung Su-heon, Vice President and Head of LG Uplus Consumer Division, said, "Collaboration with SM, a leading domestic agency, is expected to provide new digital experiences not only to U+ customers but also to global K-pop fans, creating high synergy in terms of marketing and branding."

Tak Young-joon, Co-CEO of SM, said, "The collaboration between LG Uplus's generative AI ixi-GEN and SM's virtual artist Naibis will be an important milestone that realizes future-oriented content and technological innovation through creative synergy between the two companies, beyond a simple business partnership."