Kim Ayoung: 'Artists Are Litmus Paper Reflecting How Tech Reshapes Human Life'

Artificial intelligence (AI) has penetrated deeply not only into industry but also into the arts. A fight scene between actors Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, created by China's AI video generation model "Seedance," shocked Hollywood. AI is being used across the entire creative field, including not just film production but also literature, music, and visual art, rapidly replacing artists.

Media artist Kim Ayoung compared artists to litmus paper during a special lecture for journalists held Thursday at the Chunchugwan press hall of the former presidential compound in Jongno-gu, Seoul. "Reality changes so quickly that we sometimes fail to feel it, but artists react sensitively to how technology transforms our lives, absorbing it just like test paper," she explained. The lecture, held under the theme "Art in the Age of Machine Vision," was arranged to introduce an original methodology that uses generative AI not as a mere creative tool but as a "collaborative partner," centered on the artist's signature work "Delivery Dancer." Kim earned a master's degree in fine art from Chelsea College of Arts in the United Kingdom and a bachelor's degree from London College of Communication.

Kim stressed that AI is an agent transforming various parts of human life, going beyond advanced technology. Describing herself as "neither a technological determinist nor an opponent, but simply someone who enjoys quickly applying new technologies," she explained, "Technology is reshaping our lives at a rapid pace, and observing this at a micro level is what I pursue."

Based on this perspective, she created "Delivery Dancer's Sphere (2022)" using a game engine, LiDAR scanning, and 3D modeling. Delivery Dancer features a female rider who works through a delivery app called Delivery Dancer, set against a virtual Seoul. The work is characterized by its depiction of a world that transcends existing boundaries and space-time, centered on Seoul, using AI and virtual reality (VR) technology. She then presented an artistic world using video created with generative AI and a sundial sculpture through the follow-up work "Delivery Dancer's Arc: 0 Degree Receiver (2024)."

Her new domain, fusing traditional techniques with innovative technology, drew significant attention from the global art world. Last year, she became the first Korean to win the "LG Guggenheim Award." At the time, the international jury explained its selection, calling her "a leading artist who presents an original perspective on the interaction between technology and humanity, and prompts reflection on the ethical and emotional meaning of a technology-centered world." Prior to this, she was selected for the first "Asia Culture Center (ACC) Future Prize" in 2023. The ACC Future Prize is an award that discovers creative artists who expand innovative future values and possibilities.

Introducing her award history, Kim referred to herself as a "storyteller of synthesis." "I am realizing new sensations that emerge through the process of disparate images touching and colliding," she said, presenting generative AI and game engines as her key tools.

She cited "revolutionary speed" as a characteristic of the game engine, a type of software needed for video games. "In the past, 3D programs took a very long time to perform high-definition rendering," she said. "In many cases, it took several days of rendering to make a 30-second video." In contrast, she stressed, "Game engines allow real-time processing," adding, "Based on excellent semiconductor technology, they can handle numerous projects such as virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)." She said that images realized with generative AI no longer even require the 3D characters that form the basis of the work. "If you give just a little feedback on the appearance of the actor in the work, it captures a look nearly identical to reality," she explained. "If you simply apply AI tools and skillfully adjust the command values, AI can deliver excellent acting to any degree."

Kim cautiously predicted that a time will soon come when AI replaces real actors in works. "I am not a technology expert, so I am cautious about predictions," she said, "but I think the door has already been opened." She also said, "Just two years ago, AI's autonomy had limits, and value could only be created with human labor," adding, "But I think this belief, too, may change going forward." Still, she stressed, "The technological revolution will create yet another positive value."