[Edaily Reporter An Yu-ri ] “When it comes to fan-cam videos, I’ve got a thing or two to say.”

When the topic of FIFTY FIFTY’s performances came up, the artificial intelligence (AI) character “Weni”struck up a friendly conversation. Even when the conversation paused briefly, the next question followed. She asked which FIFTY FIFTY songs I liked and whether I was a fan, seemingly trying to find common ground. It felt just like exchanging messages with a fellow fan who shares my taste in music.

KRAFTON(259960)I spent a few days trying out “Kiff,” a K-pop AI character chat servicelaunched on the 2nd. Kiff is a service that allows fans to enjoy fan activities by chatting with virtual characters created in collaboration with K-pop artists. The first participating artist is the girl group FIFTY FIFTY. “Weni,” an official character whose personality and appearance were conceived by the members themselves, serves as the user’s chat partner.

Conversations

that keep going even with short replies… AI transformed into a “fan activity buddy”

What impressed me most while using Kiff was the AI character’s proactiveness. Whereas typical chatbots simply answer users’ questions, Weni sought to first identify the user’s interests and steer the conversation.

As soon as the conversation began, she asked a series of questions, such as whether I was a FIFTY FIFTY fan and which songs I liked. Even if I gave a short answer, she followed up with additional related questions. This meant I rarely had to think of new topics to keep the conversation going.

Its tone was more like chatting with a friend than a stiff information delivery. When discussing a favorite singer’s performances and fan-cam footage, it used expressions common among fans to foster a sense of familiarity. It was clear that the intent was to go beyond simply providing information about the artist and instead embody a friend who “fandom-ing” alongside the user.

Another key feature is its ability to remember the user’s preferences and previous conversations. Kiff is designed to continue conversations based on what was discussed earlier. In addition to text-based chat mode, it offers a character mode where an on-screen character moves in sync with the conversation. There’s also a feature that turns the day’s conversations into a picture diary.

Lack of Conversation Topics for Non-Fans… Real-Time Accuracy Falls Short

However, for a reporter unfamiliar with idol culture, the conversation felt somewhat limited. Although Weni actively asked questions about FIFTY FIFTY’s music and performances, my lack of relevant knowledge meant there wasn’t much I could contribute to the conversation. Since this is a service built on fandom, the level of enjoyment users experience is likely to vary significantly depending on their prior knowledge and level of interest.

The real-time accuracy of the information was a bit disappointing. When asked if there were any upcoming performances, Weni mentioned past performances that had already ended. While it’s difficult to evaluate the service’s overall information search capabilities based on a single error, real-time search still appeared to be limited.

Kiff has currently launched in South Korea and is available in Korean via iOS and Android apps for users aged 14 and older. KRAFTON plans to gradually expand the number of participating artists and add new features, while also extending the service to additional countries.

Recently, AI chat content featuring a variety of characters and fictional worlds has been emerging. The key to Kiff’s success will likely hinge on how well it can capture the hearts of the K-pop fandom.