SM Entertainment Debuts AI Artist ‘Naevis’ to Mixed Reactions

SM Entertainment debuts its first AI artist, Naevis, as part of K-pop group aespa’s storyline. But reactions from fans are mixed.

On the heels of its partnership with LG Uplus, SM Entertainment has officially debuted its first virtual artist — the AI character Naevis — as an extension of K-pop group aespa’s ongoing storyline. But fans online aren’t sure how to react.

Naevis had been teased at several aespa events, but officially launched this week with a short 15 second teaser and then a full music video for her debut track, “Done,” which also features aespa. The video shows Naevis dancing in a city at night as she switches back and forth between a cartoon version of herself and her more realistic form. She is accompanied by members of aespa as her backup dancers.

Although many fans were impressed by the CGI employed, which appears to be edited over footage of a real person dancing, others found the combination unsettling. “To me, it looks like her body is a human, but the face looks like a mannequin,” said one Korean fan.

Others questioned the need for a virtual idol in the first place, when they would rather the song be given to aespa. Some pointed out that Naevis’ voice sounds like a combination of members of aespa, further questioning the need for Naevis’ presence. The quality of the song and the voice itself have also been criticized.

“The 3D movements feel super natural — but is it like AI synthesized just the face onto a real person?” asked one fan. “Did they pour a ton of money into this? The voice is so-so,” said another. “I thought it was a duet between [aespa members] Winter and NingNing. The voices sound like they’re alternating between the two.”

In the aespa universe, Naevis is responsible for helping the group (and their computer-generated counterparts) to fight the fictional supervillain, Black Mamba. SM Entertainment plans to expand Naevis’ IP via AI voice technology and generative AI to bring her into music, games, webtoons, merchandise, and brand collaborations.