M-Phago, an AI model, takes the reins in casting, editing, and decision-making, marking a world-first in the broadcasting industry

Courtesy of MBC

MBC's latest variety program, "Gone PD," concluded with mixed public opinions as viewers experienced an innovative experiment led entirely by an artificial intelligence (AI) model named M-Phago. The AI producer, designed to have "full authority over directing the program," took charge of tasks such as selecting the cast, editing the show content, and determining participant payments based on exposure.

In a groundbreaking move, M-Phago not only introduced a diverse cast with varied backgrounds, ethnicities, and occupations, including comedian Kim Young-chul, rapper YunB, and Belgian-Senegalese rapper Fatou from Blackswan but also created fresh and unconventional missions for participants. The AI-driven program aimed to observe how individuals responded to the challenges set by M-Phago. 

▲ Courtesy of MBC

While the entertainment industry has gradually incorporated AI, primarily in areas like de-aging technology and deepfake applications, "Gone PD" stands out as the first-ever program entirely created by AI. Human producer Choi Min-geun, known for his work on variety shows like "Real Men," conceptualized the AI-produced variety show after encountering Chat GPT, emphasizing the potential of AI to take over roles traditionally performed by human producers.

Choi minimized the involvement of a human production team, letting M-Phago lead the casting process and create missions based on its learning. The program's unique aspect was the casting of individuals with diverse backgrounds, many lacking broadcasting experience, a decision driven by M-Phago's learning and optimization process.

▲ Courtesy of MBC"Gone PD" evolved beyond a typical entertainment program, resembling more of a social experiment with observational elements rather than aiming solely for viewer entertainment. Participants initially exhibited positive attitudes and active engagement with the missions, but as tasks became more absurd, frustration and anger towards M-Phago surfaced, revealing the evolving dynamics between AI control and human emotions.

The program consisted of three episodes, concluding with a 0.5 percent viewership rating. Despite the modest rating, Choi deemed the experiment successful, emphasizing the opportunity it provided to "experience how AI and human producers could coexist in the future."

Sayart

Sayart, sayart2022@gmail.com