"Pretty and Good Personality" Perfect AI Human, What Do You Think?

Flawless AI Humans in Appearance and Personality Gain Popularity
"Perfect AI Images Reinforce Stereotypes About Women's Looks," Critics Say

Korea's First Virtual Influencer OROJI. / Photo by OROJI Instagram Capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] "They have a great personality, are lively, and on top of that, their looks... it makes me feel down."

Artificial Intelligence (AI) virtual humans possess the perfect appearance and positive personality traits preferred by the MZ generation (a term combining Millennials born in the early 1980s to early 2000s and Generation Z born in the mid-1990s to early 2000s), leaving no flaws.

Because of this, some people feel a negative impression. It is a kind of relative deprivation that can be felt due to their perfection. There are also concerns that the physical features of AI humans, which embody an ideal appearance, may create a sense of discomfort.

Recently, many companies have been actively collaborating with AI humans either developed in-house or already released to use them as promotional models. Lotte Home Shopping’s AI show host Lucy and Sidus Studio X’s AI model Oroji have become hot topics by acting as their own promotional models or serving as promotional models for other companies.

One of the secrets to their popularity is their emphasis on communication, which was once considered exclusive to humans. AI virtual humans open their own social media accounts and approach people with a human-like image through a worldview that explains their job, age, major, hobbies, and more. The public responds enthusiastically to their interactions with followers on social media, just like real people.

Oroji, Korea’s first virtual influencer, is an AI virtual model created by combining a 22-year-old age, a 171cm Western-style physique, and the appearance preferred by the younger generation. Oroji currently shares daily life with over 54,000 followers and has already served as a promotional model for cosmetics, car advertisements?symbols of top stars?as well as insurance, hotels, and the Korea Tourism Organization.

Oroji gained attention after revealing belatedly that she is an AI virtual human. Looking at the comments on Oroji’s Instagram before followers knew she was an AI virtual human, most followers firmly believed Oroji was a real person, saying things like "I want to know your makeup techniques," "Oroji, take care not to catch a cold," and "You have a real model vibe. Every expression and pose suits you perfectly."

With advanced technology that closely reproduces human appearance, AI human Oroji became an object of admiration by acting as an influencer, wearing glamorous makeup, pretty clothes, and posting photos taken in pleasant atmospheres.

Korea's First Virtual Influencer OROZI.
Photo by OROZI Instagram Capture

However, some people express concerns about the emergence of AI humans who possess the appearance, physical conditions, and personality traits that many desire. A 20-something office worker, Mr. A, said, "Actually, I spend less time on social media these days. I unconsciously feel stressed because the gap between reality and the posts there feels quite big," adding, "There are already people who feel relative deprivation because of social media, and I worry that if perfect AI virtual humans become influencers, the younger generation might be even more exposed to such influences." The point is that AI humans showing a perfect image detached from reality can be uncomfortable for some.

A 20-something job seeker, Ms. B, also expressed discomfort when looking at AI humans. Ms. B said, "Since virtual humans go through the hands of many experts, you can’t find a single flaw in their style or body shape," adding, "Most AI virtual humans are female, and all have slim and pretty appearances. I think this naturally contributes to forming prejudices about the perfect female human image."

There are also concerns because the recently released AI humans are created by selecting and combining external features preferred by young people. Experts point out that AI humans showing a perfect female image can reinforce prejudices about female appearance.

Professor Kwak Geum-ju of the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University explained, "When Barbie dolls with eight-head-tall proportions and long legs were first released in the past, young girls started comparing their bodies to the mirror," adding, "Since AI virtual humans target the younger generation, there can be occurrences of comparing their appearance to themselves." She further pointed out, "If people continuously encounter the perfect image of AI humans, it can be imprinted as a uniform female image."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.