[AI Revolution](45) VIV Studios Creates 'AI Virtual Human'

Virtual Production Content Company VIV Studios
Recently Selected as a Prospective Unicorn

A mother reunites with her child who has passed away. Through virtual reality (VR), she sees her daughter who no longer exists in reality, reaches out, holds her hand, and feels her presence. This is a scene from the 2020 documentary "I Met You."

In the same year, at an awards ceremony, BTS member Suga, who was known to be unable to appear on stage due to shoulder surgery, appears alongside the other members. This stage, which surprised BTS fans worldwide, was an AR (augmented reality) concert featuring a hologram of Suga.

These cases, which demonstrated the growth potential of VR, AR, and extended reality (XR) fields, were all created by the AI-based virtual production content company ViveStudios. Founded in 2003, ViveStudios has consistently focused on developing virtual production-related technologies and was recently selected as a "pre-unicorn." This means the company has a valuation of over 100 billion KRW, a step before becoming a "unicorn" valued at 1 trillion KRW. We spoke with CEO Kim Segyu, who is challenging the unicorn status.

VIV Studios Virtual Studio Filming Scene

On the 3rd, CEO Kim said, "Based on our advanced production capabilities and technological competitiveness, we will prove ViveStudios' growth potential and business viability not only in the domestic market but also overseas," adding, "We will strive to quickly become a unicorn company." ViveStudios was listed as a "Pre-Unicorn Special Guarantee Support Company" by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, which provides up to 20 billion KRW in special guarantees and technical listing advisory services through the Korea Technology Finance Corporation. It is explained that ViveStudios is the first company in the virtual production-related field to be selected as a pre-unicorn.

The foundation lies in technology. ViveStudios has independently developed a professional solution called VIT (ViveStudios Immersive Technology), optimized for digital content production based on virtual production such as AR, VR, and XR, which efficiently controls virtual production site operations. The commercial version of VIT is about to be released. VIT reflects various real-time demands of the actual virtual production workflow and can be flexibly applied to any form of immersive content production. CEO Kim explained, "We are doing our best to contribute to the development of the virtual production industry ecosystem, support creators' creativity, and lead innovation."

Through the AI research lab ViveLab, established two years ago, the company also possesses generative AI-based virtual human production technology. ViveStudios' AI virtual human technology involves filming models with similar body types and expressions, then synthesizing faces. This allows the production of various forms of high-quality virtual human content in a short time while reducing production costs. ViveStudios' virtual human musician "Jilju" debuted last year through the Melon Music Awards (MMA). CEO Kim said, "Jilju will actively expand not only full-scale music activities but also new and diverse interactions with K-pop fans worldwide."

The market outlook is bright. Virtual production is emerging as a new innovation trend in the global video media field due to its efficiency in simplifying production processes and shortening production time. Globally, this market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of over 18%, reaching approximately 6.8 billion USD by 2030. CEO Kim stated, "As the global industry is entering a phase of digital technology-centered advancement, AI and virtual production are leading major changes in the video industry. Through the production capabilities and technology we have accumulated so far, and close partnerships with various domestic and international companies, we will quickly secure leadership in the global virtual production market."

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