A recent viral video clip showing Park Seo Joon and Kim Da Mi kissing has sparked heated reactions.
Park and Kim, who were the lead actors of Itaewon Class, the 2020 hit K-Drama, were seen kissing each other in an off-screen setting. The video immediately sparked confusion among fans as it appeared to be from back when they were promoting the K-Drama.
It was quickly discovered that the clip was made using sophisticated AI technology, using a picture of the two actors from one of their press appearances for Itaewon Class. The hyper-realistic effect in the clip, including the facial expressions, seamless movements, angles, and lighting, tricked many into believing that it was authentic footage.
The degree to which the clip was convincingly real has left many fans alarmed. It has once again highlighted how dangerous unregulated use of generative AI and deepfake technology can be, even when it appears to be used in harmless contexts.
It wasn’t too long ago that the K-Pop industry was shaken up by hundreds of pornographic videos of female idols spreading like wildfire on the internet, thanks to this very deepfake technology. Kim Da Mi and Park Seo Joon’s clip has served as a bitter reminder that despite the constant warnings, AI usage for such content has become mainstream at a scary pace.
A similar kind of usage of AI recently became a social media trend where fans used it to portray themselves interacting with their favorite idols, drawing much criticism. You can read more about it here:
“Disturbing” AI-Generated Edits Of K-Pop Idols With Fans Cause Alarm
