An elderly visitor tries a virtual reality tool at the AI Digital Learning Center of the Southeast Campus of Seoul Lifelong Education Institute in the capital's Gangdong-gu District.

By Jeong Euiseok
Photos = Jeong Euiseok

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly permeating everyday life and the industrial landscape, with AI learning centers emerging across the country.

This has prompted the broadcasting and media sector to use AI to transform its production processes.

The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Communications Commission on Sept. 10 hosted a press tour showcasing AI Digital Learning Centers and case studies of AI-driven innovation in broadcasting and media. This was an opportunity to see firsthand how AI is taught in educational settings and applied to real-world productions.

Around 11 a.m. at the Southeast Campus of Seoul Lifelong Education Institute in the capital's Gangdong-gu District, the AI Digital Learning Center was bustling with students. Launched in 2020, the facility helps people struggling with AI and digital technologies grow more comfortable using smartphones, automated kiosks and other devices.

The plan is to expand the number of such centers to 229 nationwide by 2029.

A class (left) teaches creation of generative AI videos using smartphones, while an instructor (far left in right photo) speaks with two students.

The class that day focused on creating generative AI videos using smartphones. Holding such devices in their hands, the students followed their instructor's directions and repeatedly tapped their screens throughout class.

Whenever they had questions or seemed unsure about something, they were encouraged to raise their hands. An assistant instructor approached students individually to provide guidance and help them keep up with the class.

The session offered tailored training to cater to the needs of older adults.

After the class, student Seo Jonghyun said, "Learning about AI has broadened my horizons," adding with a smile, "It feels like having a personal assistant by my side."

Cha Han-na, executive principal of the Digital Competency Development Team at the National Information Society Agency, stressed the importance of AI education, saying, "Since AI can provide any type of answer when you input content in one's natural language, it's actually a technology truly needed by senior citizens and digitally underserved populations."

Morpheus Studio CEO Lee Su-young delivers the presentation "Producing a Fully AI-generated Sequence for the Drama 'Manager Kim.'"

The afternoon session featured a seminar on developing innovative talent for broadcasting and media AI. The highlight was the presentation "Producing a Fully AI-generated Sequence for the Drama 'Manager Kim'" by Morpheus Studio CEO Lee Su-young, who explored the use of AI to create action scenes in the series without conventional filming.

Lee showed a three-minute action sequence featuring scenes of a moving vehicle, the protagonist subduing an opponent and the surrounding background all looking amazingly real. "AI replaced approximately five days worth of filming and slashed production costs over 60%," he added.

When Lee said the technology was first tested in November last year, a quiet gasp was heard among the media corps.

Given the mind-boggling speed at which AI is advancing, the tour showed a glimpse of the changes the technology is beginning to bring to industrial settings.

innocence@korea.kr