SM Entertainment to introduce first AI K-pop artist in September

From AI-generated scenes to AI artists—the Korean entertainment scene is witnessing a new era with the emergence of artificial intelligence.

SM Entertainment, for one, is pushing the boundaries of K-pop innovation with the debut of its first-ever AI-generated artist in September.

The agency launched an official website and posted a teaser video on Aug. 21 announcing the upcoming solo debut of nævis, a virtual idol created from the latest computer graphics and AI voicing technologies.  

SM Entertainment has also released an additional video on Aug. 23 titled The Birth of nævis, where the character is seen being transported from a glitching futuristic dimension to the real world.  

Before the announcement, nævis frequently appeared in 4th-generation girl group aespa’s music videos and was even featured in their song Welcome to MY World, a pre-release single to their third mini-album, My World, in May 2023

In June, nævis also made a surprise appearance at aespa’s SYNK: Parallel Line concert in Seoul back in June.

nævis is a household name for aespa and its fandom as she also plays the role of an AI system that helps the girls traverse from the real world to the “unruled and infinite” digital dimension called Kwangya in the group’s fictional sci-fi-inspired lore.