Thanks to 'ToonFilter', Naver Webtoon New Users Increase by 480%

Convert Desired Photos into Webtoon Style
80% Overseas Users... 10,000 on Waiting List

Naver Webtoon’s ‘Toon Filter,’ which combines artificial intelligence (AI) technology with content, is gaining popularity.

On the 22nd, Naver Webtoon announced that Toon Filter generated over 20 million transformed images within a week of its beta service launch. Toon Filter is a service that can transform any desired photo into the art style of a favorite webtoon work.

Toon Filter was designed to provide an experience as if a favorite webtoon artist is drawing directly for the user. The beta service, launched on the 12th, applied the art styles of 10 works by 10 creators as a trial.

Although Toon Filter is only available in Korean, it became known to overseas webtoon fans through social media, at one point having over 10,000 people waiting to access all types of filters. So far, more than 80% of the total users are from overseas, with the highest user proportions from Indonesia, South Korea, Russia, the Philippines, and Malaysia, in that order. Users from over 30 countries, including the United States, Japan, Thailand, France, Vietnam, and Italy, have accessed Toon Filter, showing strong interest. Considering the responses from overseas users, Naver Webtoon plans to develop a global service for Toon Filter.

The success of Toon Filter also led to an increase in new users of the Naver Webtoon app. After the release of Toon Filter, the daily number of new users of the Korean Naver Webtoon app increased by up to 480% compared to the same period the previous week.

For filtering inappropriate images, Naver Webtoon utilized its self-developed filtering technology called ‘XSpider for Image.’ XSpider is a model that actually performs harmful content screening in Naver Webtoon’s amateur creator spaces such as Challenge Comics and Canvas.

Naver Webtoon is leading the development of various technologies for creators and users as part of the ‘Webtoon With’ program that supports the creative ecosystem. Both ‘WebtoonMe,’ which allows users to transform into webtoon characters in real time, and the newly introduced Toon Filter are technologies designed to help users enjoy webtoons more delightfully. Naver Webtoon is also developing various technologies that improve creative efficiency and assist creators, as well as technologies that protect the creative ecosystem, including copyright.

Professor Geonwoong Lee of Korea University said, “This can be evaluated as a case of smartly utilizing generative AI to strengthen the platform ecosystem by providing creators with opportunities to communicate with fans through generative AI technology. Going forward, how wisely platforms and companies utilize generative AI will be an important growth strategy.”

A Naver Webtoon official stated, “By combining content and technology, we expect to create more opportunities for creators or webtoon characters to communicate with fans. As a global story-tech platform, we will lead the development of various technologies that help creators and bring joy to webtoon fans.”

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