At the EastPoint: Seoul 2026 Web3 conference on September 28, SM Entertainment chief A&R officer Lee Sung-soo and Modhaus chief executive Jeong Byeong-gi discussed how AI and blockchain are changing K-pop. Both said the technology lowers the barriers for new agencies, but warned that it has to be brought in carefully because fans resist AI entering an artist's creative core.
Lee said the industry no longer depends on physical album distribution to reach fans worldwide, which gives newer companies an opening: they are not tied to old structures and can build fan participation and new technology in from the start. Large agencies are answering with multi-label set-ups, as K-pop now spans many genres and production methods that each need their own production teams and strategy. The panel took place at the Westin Josun Seoul Parnas in Samseong.
Jeong called K-pop possibly the most conservative market for AI. Fans accept it for cutting production time and cost, he said, but are sensitive to anything that touches the music or image that define an artist. He does not see that as simple technophobia and would widen AI use only once fandoms broadly agree.
He added that fandom value is now measured more by time spent and participation than by spending. Modhaus lets fans vote on artists' direction, though constant voting causes fatigue, so the scope and frequency of votes have to be managed. Lee also worried that localising content for global markets could wear down K-pop's distinct character, and closed by saying the genre can only keep growing if music and fans stay at the centre.
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