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SM Founder Lee Soo-man Urges K-Pop Industry’s Rapid Adoption of Artificial Intelligence and Blockchain Technology
K-pop pioneer Lee Soo-man has urged rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and blockchain technology to strengthen the competitiveness of the cultural content business and maximize economic efficiency in the global music industry.
“I am an advocate of AI-based chatbots. AI and chatbot technologies are changing the way creators and consumers communicate at the speed of light. AI will help K-pop connect with its fans around the world. It’s a convergence of culture and technology that I’ve been talking about for a while now, and it will enable deeper engagement between celebrities and prosumers, or fans,” said Lee, founder and former chief producer of SM Entertainment in his conference speech on Thursday The General Assembly of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers (CISAC) is held in Seoul.
While the evolution of technology is rapidly changing the economic landscape of the content industry and creating a competitive advantage, the K-pop mogul also warned about the impact of artificial intelligence on copyright. In particular, Lee expressed concern about intellectual property infringement, illegal distribution of content, and plagiarism that could lead to economic losses for creators.
Lee also said he advocated for AI chatbots and robots to be issued government IDs and registered with a real name. She urged every website and online platform, whether minor or major, to adopt a real name system.
“If standards for (blockchain) smart contract systems related to content royalties, licensing management, etc. were unified globally, it would be optimal to protect the property rights of creators,” Lee said.
Before Lee’s speech, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Yu In-chon opened the general assembly with a welcome speech. Actor and director Yoo Ji-tae, singer and Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker-elect Kim Jae-won, also known as RIAA, along with three other creators joined a roundtable to share insights on the cultural and economic benefits of creative efforts. The discussion was moderated by Anna Neale, CISAC’s Director of Presidents and Creators.
Meanwhile, the General Assembly of CISAC, the largest international copyright conference, returned to Korea for the first time since 2004. Often nicknamed the United Nations of the copyright industry, CISAC has 225 members from 116 countries and 225 copyright organizations worldwide. The non-profit organization guides major policies for the copyright industry and covers a wide range of cultural fields including music, theatre, literature, sculpture and visual arts.