AI revolution: boon or bane for K-pop world? 인공지능 혁명: K팝세계에 득일까? 실일까?

[김우정]

AI가 HYBE와 SM 등 K팝 거대기업에 큰 영향을 미치고 있습니다.
방시혁 HYBE의장은 AI가 K팝의 미래를 재편할 것이라고 전망합니다.
AI가 만든 가상 아이돌이  이미 나와서 콘서트도 열었습니다.
작곡분야에서는 AI작곡가가 급증하고있고 저작권문제가 발생하고 있습니다.

 
AI revolution: boon or bane for K-pop world?
인공지능 혁명: K팝세계에 득일까? 실일까?

By Dong Sun-hwa 동선화 기자
Posted : 2023-11-06 08:22 Updated : 2023-11-06 08:22
Korea Times

Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of K-pop powerhouse HYBE, speaks at Bloomberg Screentime in Los Angeles, Oct. 12 (local time.) Courtesy of Bloomberg Screentime 방시혁 K팝 HYBE 회장이 10월 12일(현지시간) 미국 로스앤젤레스 블룸버그 스크린타임에서 말하고 있다. 블룸버그 스크린타임 제공

From HYBE to SM, K-pop powerhouses ride coattails of AI
HYBE부터 SM까지 가요계 강자들 AI의 코트를 누비다

Editor’s note
This is part of our 73rd anniversary series to explore the multifaceted ways AI is reshaping human society while scrutinizing the ethical, social and economic implications.
편집자주
이기사는 윤리적, 사회적, 경제적 의미를 면밀히 검토하면서 AI가 인간 사회를 재편하는 다각적인 방법을 모색하기 위한 73주년 기념 시리즈의 일부이다.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into Korea's multi-billion-dollar K-pop industry is no longer a question of "if," but "when." Industry giants like HYBE and SM Entertainment are charging full-throttle into this technological revolution, but the rise of AI in music production is not without its controversies.
인공지능 (AI)을 한국의 수십억 달러의 K-pop 산업에 통합하는 것은 더 이상 "만약"의 문제가 아니라 "언제"의 문제이다. HYBE와 SM 엔터테인먼트와 같은 업계 거물들은 이 기술혁명에 모든 힘을 쏟고 있지만, 음악제작에 있어서 인공지능의 부상은 논란이 없는 것은 아니다.

Bang Si-hyuk, the mastermind behind the Grammy-nominated boy band, BTS, and the chairman of Korea’s biggest-selling K-pop label, HYBE, recently revealed that artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a key factor for his operation and strategy. During a recent interview with the American magazine, Billboard, the 51-year-old said he has long wondered if human artists will remain as the only entities to produce music that caters to people’s needs and tastes.
그래미상 후보에 오른 보이 밴드 방탄소년단(BTS)의 지휘자이자 한국 최대 판매 K팝 레이블인 하이브(HYBE)의 회장인 방시혁은 최근 인공지능(AI)이 자신의 운영과 전략의 핵심 요소가 되고 있다고 밝혔다. 미국잡지 빌보드와의 최근 인터뷰에서 51세의 이 남성은 인간 아티스트가 사람들의 필요와 취향에 맞는 음악을 생산하는 유일한 주체로 남아있을지 오랫동안 고민해 왔다고 말했다.
 

Bang is only one of many people who believe AI will reshape the future of the K-pop industry. He has been striving to incorporate the state-of-the-art AI technology into music, as evidenced by the launch of a project called “Midnatt” in May.
방씨는 AI가 K-pop 산업의 미래를 재편할 것이라고 믿는 많은 사람들 중 한 명일 뿐이다. 그는 지난 5월 "미드낫"이라고 불리는 프로젝트의 시작에서 증명되었듯이, 최첨단 AI 기술을 음악에 접목시키기 위해 노력해왔다.

Midnatt, an alter ego of HYBE’s male singer Lee Hyun, rolled out the digital single, “Masquerade,” in Korean. However, thanks to the AI-powered pronunciation correction technology, the tune was available in six different languages, including English, Spanish and Vietnamese. It also featured the female voice of Lee, which was created through voice designing technology.
HYBE의 남성 가수 이현(Lee Hyun)의 분신인 미드낫(Midnatt)은 디지털 싱글 "가면극(Maskerade)"을 한국어로 출시했다. 그러나 AI 기반 발음 교정기술 덕분에 영어, 스페인어 및 베트남어를 포함한 6개의 다른 언어로 곡을 사용할 수 있었다. 또한 음성 디자인 기술을 통해 만들어진 이(Lee)의 여성 목소리가 특징이다.


The project was spearheaded by HYBE’s interactive media arm, HYBE IM, and AI audio tech startup, Supertone. HYBE acquired Supertone for 45 billion won ($36.5 million) in January.
하이브의 인터랙티브 미디어 사업부인 하이브 아이엠과 AI 오디오 기술 스타트업인 슈퍼톤이 주도해 지난 1월 450억원(3,650만달러)에 슈퍼톤을 인수했다.

“We tried to utilize AI without distorting our artist’s voice and message,” HYBE IM CEO Chung Woo-yong said during a press event in Seoul in May. Noting that his company will pursue both technological enhancements and musical authenticity, the CEO added that it plans to team up with other artists under HYBE’s roof in the future.
"우리는 우리의 아티스트의 목소리와 메시지를 왜곡하지 않고 인공지능을 사용하려고 노력했다"라고 HYBE IM의 정우용 대표가 5월 서울에서 열린 기자 행사에서 말했다. 그의 회사가 기술적인 향상과 음악적인 진정성을 둘 다 추구할 것이라고 언급하면서, 그 CEO는 미래에 HYBE의 아래 다른 아티스트들과 팀을 이룰 계획이라고 덧붙였다.

Not to be outdone, K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment, home to A-list stars like NCT and aespa, has also jumped on the AI bandwagon. It plans to unveil an AI-produced virtual singer ― Naevis ― in 2024 for the first time in its 30-year history, adding more diversity to its roster of artists.
NCT와 aespa와 같은 A급 스타들의 본거지인 K-pop의 강자 SM 엔터테인먼트도 AI 시류에 편승했다. 그것은 아티스트명단에 더 많은 다양성을 추가하면서, AI가 제작한 가상 가수 - 내비스 - 를 2024년에 30년 역사상 최초로 공개할 계획이다.

Naevis is already a familiar name to most K-pop fans, as the virtual female character was frequently featured in the promotional content of girl group aespa as its helper. Although details are still being kept under wraps, SM’s former CEO Lee Sung-soo hinted that the label will work at full capacity to make Naevis look flawless in terms of movement, voice and communication skills.
내비스는 걸그룹 aespa의 홍보 콘텐츠에 가상의 여성 캐릭터가 그 조력자로 자주 등장했기 때문에 이미 대부분의 K-pop 팬들에게 친숙한 이름이다. 비록 세부 사항들은 여전히 비밀에 부쳐지고 있지만, SM의 전대표 이성수는 움직임, 음성, 그리고 의사소통 능력 면에서 내비스가 완벽하게 보일 수 있도록 레이블이 최대한으로 작동할 것이라고 암시했다.

 

The human members of K-pop girl group aespa and their digital avatars / Courtesy of SM Entertainment 케이팝 걸그룹 aespa의 인간 멤버들과 그들의 디지털 아바타 / SM엔터테인먼트 제공

SM also debuted aespa in 2020, which is composed of four human members ― Karina, Winter, Giselle and Ningning ― and their AI-created digital selves. Known as the first metaverse group in the K-pop universe, aespa even brought their hyper-realistic avatars to the LED screen during its first solo concert in February, dancing in sync with the virtual alter egos as they performed hits like “Girls” (2022) and “Black Mamba” (2020).
SM은 또한 2020년에 aespa를 데뷔시켰는데, aespa는 카리나, 윈터, 지젤, 닝닝 등 4명의 인간 멤버들과 그들이 인공지능으로 만든 디지털 자아로 구성되어 있다. 케이팝 세계의 첫 메타버스 그룹으로 알려진 aespa는 심지어 지난 2월 첫 번째 단독 콘서트 동안 LED 스크린에 그들의 극도로 사실적인 아바타를 가지고 와서 "Girls" (2022)와 "Black Mamba" (2020)와 같은 히트곡들을 공연하면서 가상의 알테고와 함께 춤을 추었다.

But today, some concerts do not feature human artists, as seen in the case of virtual girl group Eternity ― also known as IITERNITI. The 11-piece act, which debuted with the single, “I’m Real” in 2021, staged its first solo concert in Gwangmyeong, on the outskirts of Seoul, Oct. 14-15. By fusing music and immersive media art, the show invited the audience to a new hybrid world where they could witness a compelling combination of reality and virtual reality.
그러나 오늘날, IITERNITI라고도 알려진 가상 걸그룹 Eternity의 경우에서 볼 수 있듯이, 일부 콘서트에는 인간아티스트가 등장하지 않는다. 2021년 싱글 "I'm Real"로 데뷔한 11곡으로 구성된 이 공연은 10월 14일부터 15일까지 서울외곽의 광명에서 첫 단독 콘서트를 열었다. 음악과 몰입형 미디어아트를 융합함으로써, 이 쇼는 관객들을 현실과 가상현실의 설득력 있는 조합을 목격할 수 있는 새로운 혼합세계로 초대했다.

“Virtual idols will continue to emerge,” music critic Kim Do-heon told The Korea Times. “As of now, many of them still cling to the K-pop system and perform the songs written by K-pop songwriters. But if they further utilize AI technology in the creative process of their music, they are likely to make another breakthrough."
"가상 아이돌은 계속해서 등장할 것이다"라고 김도헌음악 평론가 코리아 타임즈에 말했다. "현재로서, 그들 중 많은 사람들은 여전히 K-pop 시스템에 매달리고 K-pop 작곡가들에 의해 쓰여진 노래들을 공연한다. 그러나 만일 그들이 그들의 음악의 창조적인 과정에 인공지능 기술을 더 사용한다면, 그들은 또 다른 돌파구를 만들 것이다."

A scene from virtual girl group Eternity's October concert / Courtesy of Pulse 9 가상 걸그룹 Eternity의 10월 콘서트 한 장면 / Pulse 제공 9

 


Unresolved issues
While AI offers new possibilities, it also raises concerns.
미해결문제
인공지능은 새로운 가능성을 제공하지만, 또한 우려제기

AI has also been gaining traction in the realm of music composition. There has been a surge in the number of AI composers like EvoM (Evolutionary Music), which can produce music in just a few minutes using vast training data.
음악 작곡 분야에서도 AI가 주목을 받고 있는데, 방대한 훈련 데이터를 활용해 단 몇 분 만에 음악을 만들어낼 수 있는 에보엠(Evolutionary Music)과 같은 AI 작곡가가 급증하고 있다.

Although some critics point out that the general quality of AI's creations are not yet comparable to those of human beings, they are gradually broadening their horizons beyond background music.
인공지능 창작물의 일반적인 질은 아직 인간과 비교할 수 없다는 지적도 있지만, 점차 배경음악을 넘어 시야를 넓혀가고 있다.

“It seems the songs by Korean AI composers need more digging into melodies, progressions and lyrics,” Kim, the music critic, noted. “But as evidenced by the case of Google’s AI-based text-to-music model, Music LM, the technology is growing at a fast pace abroad and it can now generate music of a specific genre or a vibe you want.”
음악평론가 김씨는 "한국 인공지능 작곡가들의 곡들은 멜로디, 진행, 가사에 대해 더 깊이 연구할 필요가 있어 보인다,"라고 지적했다. "하지만 구글의 인공지능 기반 텍스트 투 뮤직 모델인 뮤직 엘엠의 사례에서 입증하듯, 그 기술은 해외에서 빠른 속도로 성장하고 있고 그것은 이제 당신이 원하는 특정 장르의 음악이나 분위기를 만들어 낼 수 있다."
 
AI, however, is an unwelcome guest for some human composers.
그러나 인공지능은 일부 인간 작곡가들에게는 달갑지 않은 손님이다.

The Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA), a non-profit copyright collective for musical works that has more than 47,000 members nationwide, asserts that AI could disrupt the music industry.
전국적으로 47,000명 이상의 회원이 있는 음악 저작물의 비영리 저작권 단체인 한국음악저작권협회 (KOMCA)는 AI가 음악 산업을 방해할 수 있다고 주장하고 있다.

“A lot of people prefer AI-made songs because they are often free to use,” said an official at KOMCA.
"많은 사람들이 인공지능으로 만든 노래를 선호합니다. 왜냐하면 인공지능은 종종 자유롭게 사용할 수 있기 때문이다," 라고 한국 음악저작권협회의 한 관계자가 말했다.

“Given that AI songwriters can produce music very quickly without big restraints, it is taxing for their human counterparts to go head-to-head with them.”
"인공지능 작곡가들이 큰 제약 없이 매우 빠르게 음악을 생산할 수 있다는 것을 고려하면, 그들의 인간 상대방이 그들과 정면 대결하는 것은 부담이 된다."

Chu Ga-yeoul, chairman of the Korea Music Copyright Association (KOMCA) / Yonhap 추가열 한국음악저작권협회(KOMCA) 회장 / 연합

If AI composers reign supreme, they can bring chaos to the music industry, the association explained.
만약 인공지능 작곡가들이 최고의 자리를 차지한다면, 그들은 음악 산업에 혼란을 가져올 수 있다고 협회는 설명했다.

“If AI-made tracks take over the music scene, they can pose a threat to the livelihood of human composers who will see a significant fall in income,” the association said. “Since they lack legal protection at the moment, AI’s dominance can deal a critical blow to them and we may even witness technology’s encroachment on the territory of culture.”
협회는 "만약 인공지능이 만든 곡들이 음악계를 장악한다면, 그것들은 상당한 수입감소를 보게 될 인간 작곡가들의 생계에 위협이 될 수 있습니다" 라고 말했다. "현재 그들은 법적인 보호가 부족하기 때문에, 인공지능의 지배는 그들에게 치명적인 타격을 줄 수 있고 우리는 심지어 기술의 문화의 영역에 대한 침해를 목격할 수 있다."

KOMCA believes Korea should introduce stricter regulations and laws on AI, calling for clear guidelines to tackle the thorny issues of copyright infringement and plagiarism.
KOMCA는 한국이 인공지능에 대한 더 엄격한 규제와 법을 도입해야 한다고 생각하고, 저작권 침해와 표절의 골치 아픈 문제들을 다루기 위한 명확한 지침을 요구하고 있다.

“As AI studies large databases of music, it can infringe on the copyright of the composers who wrote the original songs,” the KOMCA official said.
"AI가 대규모 음악 데이터베이스를 연구하기 때문에 원곡을 작곡한 작곡가들의 저작권을 침해할 수 있다," 라고 한국음악협회 관계자가 말했다.

“We also do not have clear criteria to decide whether AI has committed plagiarism and that is why we think its developers should be required to disclose which songs they used as training data. These people should give copyright holders the fair compensation they deserve.”
"우리는 또한 인공지능이 표절을 저질렀는지를 결정할 명확한 기준을 가지고 있지 않으며, 그것이 인공지능의 개발자들이 어떤 노래를 훈련 자료로 사용했는지를 공개하도록 요구되어야 한다고 생각하는 이유이다. 이 사람들은 저작권자들에게 그들이 마땅히 받아야 할 정당한 보상을 주어야 한다."

There is another hot-button issue: AI composers cannot receive any music royalty based on the current copyright law, as it only recognizes human creations as copyrighted materials. But what if AI collaborates with a human partner? KOMCA believes it can trigger another dispute over the ownership of copyright, given that there is no law about such cases.
또 다른 쟁점은 인공지능 작곡가들은 인간의 창작물을 저작권 보호를 받는 자료로만 인정하기 때문에 현행 저작권법에 근거하여 어떠한 음악 저작권료도 받을 수 없다는 것이다. 그러나 만약 인공지능이 인간 파트너와 협력한다면 어떨까요? 이러한 경우에 대한 법이 없다는 점을 감안할 때, 인공지능 작곡가는 저작권의 소유권에 대한 또 다른 분쟁을 촉발할 수 있다고 믿고 있다.

“We need more laws regarding the copyright of AI-produced songs,” Kim, the music critic, pointed out. “And now it is time to bring this issue to the table. Since we do not have many references at home and abroad, we first have to scrutinize different cases to come up with adequate solutions.”
"우리는 인공지능이 만든 노래들의 저작권에 관한 더 많은 법들이 필요하다"라고 음악비평가인 김씨가 지적했다. "그리고 이제 이 문제를 논의할 때이다. 우리는 국내외에서 많은 참고문헌을 가지고 있지 않기 때문에, 우리는 먼저 적절한 해결책을 도출하기 위해 다른 사례들을 면밀히 조사해야만 한다."

#Artificialintelligence(AI)인공지능 #K-pop(Koreanpopmusic)케이팝 #Musiccomposer음악작곡가 #Copyright저작권 #Controversy논란