SM signs MOU with KAIST for in-depth ‘metaverse’ research
K-pop powerhouse SM Entertainment has inked a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) to conduct in-depth research into the “metaverse,” a portmanteau of the prefix “meta” — meaning beyond — and “universe,” and referring to a shared virtual space where users interact via digital avatars.
SM and KAIST, one of the most prestigious science and technology universities in Korea, are set to cooperate in the field of artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, and culture technology, among many others. The two will also coproduce digital avatars.
On Wednesday, SM’s founder/producer Lee Soo-man and CEO Lee Sung-soo took part in the MOU-signing ceremony with KAIST President Lee Kwang-hyung at the university’s campus in Daejeon.
“I hope the combination of SM’s cultural imagination and KAIST’s technological prowess would bear fruitful results, contributing to the growth of the entertainment and engineering technology industry,” Lee Kwang-hyung said during the event.
After the ceremony, Lee Sooman — one of the trailblazers in the K-pop industry whose company gave birth to a plethora of big-name stars such as Girls’ Generation, EXO and NCT — delivered a special lecture to KAIST students.
“Since the establishment of SM in 1989, my motto has always been, ‘Culture first, Economics next,’” he said. “I have been striving to make hallyu (Korean Wave) a persistent global phenomenon that can help accumulate national wealth.”
He added that the future of the entertainment industry will center on celebrities and robots.
“I believe digital avatars have ushered in the era of the robots. In the case of SM, we already debuted aespa last year,” he said, referring to the girl group he launched last November, which consists of four human members and their virtual avatars.
“We dream of creating the SM Culture Universe, where different stories will be recounted through cartoons, animations, webtoons, motion graphics, avatars and novels.”