[Edaily Reporter KWON HYE-ME ] As cases of using AI-generated virtual characters in online classes have emerged both domestically and internationally, a YouTube video by a Korean language instructor in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, is gaining attention on social media. The instructor’s striking appearance has drawn attention, with some viewers noting that she resembles an AI-generated virtual character.

According to YouTube on the 3rd, videos from the YouTube channel “This Is Ahn Seung-yeon’s Korean,” run by Korean language instructor Ahn Seung-yeon, are gaining attention as they are shared across various social media platforms.

Ms. Ahn, who introduced herself as a Korean language instructor in Daechi-dong, launched her YouTube channel on the 22nd of last month. Her profile is listed on the official website of an academy in Daechi-dong.

According to her YouTube bio, Ahn ranked 250th out of 450 students in her first year of high school but improved her grades to rank third in the entire school by her second year. Although she received a Grade 3 on the September mock exam, she ultimately achieved a Grade 1 in all subjects on the CSAT, and her percentile score for Korean on the 2019 CSAT was 99.

Ms. Ahn has posted educational videos on her channel, including study methods for the final month before the CSAT and tips for test day. In addition, Ms. Ahn announced plans to upload content such as: ▲ summaries of the full plots and character relationship charts for all EBS-linked literary works; ▲ key summaries for the CSAT Korean language sections on literature and reading comprehension; ▲ CSAT tips (mental and physical condition management, a special lecture on guessing answers); and ▲ relaxing videos to watch when feeling exhausted.

Ms. Ahn’s videos went viral not only because of the lecture content but also due to her striking beauty. Her first video, titled “Must-Watch for Anyone Who Failed the 9th Mock Exam,” recorded 270,000 views (as of 10:30 p.m. on the 3rd).

In the comments, netizens reacted with remarks such as, “I’m sorry, Professor. I’m going back to the college entrance exam scene to study Korean,” “She got a Grade 1 in every subject on the CSAT and looks like an idol,” “I want to go back to being a test-taker,” and “I took the CSAT in 2019—how is she already a teacher?”

Ms. Ahn, who launched her YouTube channel via her Instagram, shared her thoughts on the new venture, saying, “This is my first time doing YouTube, and I’m grateful for the more interest than I expected,” adding, “I worked hard on everything from filming to editing all by myself.”

Meanwhile, AI virtual instructors have already been commercialized in the domestic education industry. In January 2023, EastSoft, a company specializing in AI services, partnered with YBM to introduce an AI instructor that replicated the face, voice, and speech patterns of a real TOEIC instructor, launching the AI-powered online course “VTKL.” In 2021, the company collaborated with Huneed, a corporate training specialist, to create an AI instructor for use in leadership lectures.

The production of AI-powered educational content is also taking place overseas. According to an official announcement in 2023 by the AI video production platform Sinsesia, Maryville University in the United States produced more than 85 AI educational videos and utilized them in more than 11 courses. IU University of Applied Sciences in Germany also introduced AI videos into approximately 100 courses that same year, thereby shortening the time required to produce lecture videos.