Virtual Band Members: The Beginning Of A New Era?
It's happening: New K-pop girl group Aespa includes human and virtual members đ€Ż
It feels like just yesterday everyone was questioning if virtual events were a thing.
Well, if it wasnât clear before, it is now. Virtual events are very much a thing - and are here to stay.
And just as weâre adjusting to the idea of virtual events being a thing, a mind-blowing new trend has emergedâŠ
A new K-pop girl group has been formed called Aespa, which is made up of both human and VIRTUAL members.
This is âthe beginning of the future of entertainmentâ according to SM Entertainment founder Lee Soo-man.
âThe group is what Iâve dreamed of, as it projects a future world centred on celebrities and avatars, transcending boundaries between the real and virtual worlds,â Lee said.
âA whole new group with an original and inventive concept will be born.â
Wow.
While this opens up a whole new realm of possibility, it does raise some unanswered questionsâŠ
Itâs hard enough for human artists to break through as it is, let alone having to compete with virtual artists.
Virtual artists could be shaped using data, algorithms and artificial intelligence, which would then determine their look, personality and talent, to appeal to audiences.
Combine that with the significantly reduced operating costs and fewer challenges of a virtual group versus a real artist.
There would be no burn out from touring, no fighting over contracts, no need to even pay them (theyâre virtual after all).
What are the ethics behind this? Does this create an unfair playing field, or would audiences not resonate with virtual talent?
At what point is it not worth developing real talent when you can spin up a virtual artist for a fraction of the cost or risk associated?
All this remains to be seen, but what an exciting time we are living inâŠ
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Special thanks to Stefanos Fernandez for contributing to this article.