SKT partners SM Entertainment on AI-based technology for K-pop content

South Korea’s biggest mobile carrier SK Telecom has pledged to work with major K-pop agency S.M. Entertainment to use the former’s artificial intelligence technology in separating singers’ vocals from music records, the telecommunications company said Friday.

According to SK Telecom, its chief technology officer Park Jin-hyo and S.M. Entertainment CEO Kim Youg-min signed a memorandum of understanding for partnership on the AI-based voice-separating technology during their meeting at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Wednesday.

While the two companies have yet to reveal how the technology will materialize in everyday life, the telecom giant’s chief said the technology would be best demonstrated when people try to impersonate K-pop stars for entertainment.

“When you sing a song from Girls’ Generation in a karaoke room, you can replace their voices with yours,” SK Telecom chief Park Jung-ho told reporters, referring to a popular girl group under S.M. Entertainment.

“When vocals were separated from (music records) in the past, the whole song and melody were taken out as well. But the AI engine helps us to single out vocals from singer’s live performance footage (without damaging the music record),” Park added.