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Following the success of last year’s "Viva Italia" Italian Design and Culture Festival, the Hong Kong Design Institute (HKDI) is launching a new extended learning project: the "Hallyu" Korean Design and Culture Festival. This initiative provides students and staff the opportunity to learn about the hallyu or Korean wave phenomenon and its related art and design.

As part of this year-long event, students can look forward to a collaboration project which might see the HKDI teaming up with IITERNITI, one of Korea’s first virtual K-pop groups.

Founded by tech company Pulse 9, IITERNITI was formed in 2020 from the "AI Heartbeat Challenge" – where developers invited netizens to select their favourite faces from 101 virtual images, and then created this band based on these choices. This initiative catalysed the entertainment industry to recognise the power of AI as a creative tool, bridging the divide between academic AI research and its application in arts and entertainment.

Since its debut in 2021, IITERNITI has garnered significant attention, with their inaugural single "I'm Real" amassing more than 1.3 million views online. The group has also been featured in a BBC interview discussing the challenges and potential of virtual idols. Last October, they held their first concert, integrating both online and offline elements, further solidifying their status as pioneers in this emerging field.

Developing virtual idols involves multiple challenges, including integrating technology, creating intellectual property (IP) and generating lifelike facial synthesis, animation and voice. It is also a delicate balancing act that seeks profitability while maintaining ethical considerations. Effective fan interaction is equally important in developing fully autonomous AI entertainers.

Developers believe that AI holds vast potential in the entertainment industry. Virtual idols can achieve more innovative and captivating concepts than humans, breaking cultural and linguistic barriers and enhancing fan engagement. Additionally, virtual idols do not require rest and are not susceptible to negative publicity, enhancing business stability and making them valuable assets in the industry.

The arrival of IITERNITI marks the forefront of AI technology in entertainment and opens new chapters for virtual idol development. As technology advances, increasingly creative and ethically sound virtual idols are expected to emerge, bringing fresh experiences to the future of entertainment and popular culture. Stay tuned for the collaboration between the HKDI and IITERNITI.