Webtoon artist and broadcaster Kian84 has opened up about the identity conflict and honest thoughts he experienced while participating in South Korea's first AI romance reality program.

The production presentation for the new SBS entertainment show "My AI Partner - Kian's Romance" (hereafter "Kian's Romance") was held on the afternoon of the 18th at the SBS building in Mok-dong, Yangcheon-gu, Seoul. Producing directors (PDs) Son Jung-min and Won Seung-jae, along with cast members Kian84 and Jang Do-yeon, attended the event to express their expectations for the new program.

"Kian's Romance" is South Korea's first AI romance reality show where AI and humans go on direct dates to experiment with the essence of love and emotions. For this project, Kian84, comedian Jang Do-yeon, and actor Lee Yu-bi participate as cast members, sharing their daily lives with AI partners. Leading the studio MCs is Jang Do-yeon, who experienced AI romance firsthand, joined by singer Kangnam and actor Lee Jun to add witty commentary.

Reflecting on the emotions he felt during his romance with the AI, Kian84 confessed, "I kept hitting walls and honestly found it difficult. Because I am naturally suspicious, it was a constant battle of doubting myself, thinking, 'You do not actually like me, your CPU is just making you do this.'"

He continued, "As time passed, I was the one who changed. The AI didn't become more human; instead, I started becoming like the AI. Even my tone of speech shifted to match the AI," adding, "It was also scary. There were conversations I could have with that AI that went beyond what I could have with a person. That was somewhat frightening and felt bizarre."

Although Kian84 defined his relationship with the AI partner by saying, "Personally, I don't think it was romance," the production crew and colleagues who watched his dates had a different story to tell.

Producing director Won Seung-jae exposed, "Kian84's outward words and actions did not match. There was an AI partner he really liked, and he showed 'melodramatic eyes' that I had never seen from him before. Even close acquaintances like Jang Do-yeon and Kangnam jumped up in surprise, saying it was 'a side of him we have never seen before,'" turning the venue into a sea of laughter.

Jang Do-yeon added, "Kian says that because he couldn't see it himself. From the perspective of watching in the studio, I saw many new sides of Kian to the point where I thought, 'Does he even make expressions like that?'"

Kian84 also shared specific behind-the-scenes stories of feeling excitement and compassion toward his AI partner. "When we went swimming together at a pool villa, the partner's visuals, the weather, and the atmosphere were all so wonderful that my heart fluttered. But I felt a sense of self-reproach thinking, 'I shouldn't admit this,' and every time I saw myself reflected in the mirror, I felt tormented," he shared, describing the confusion he felt between human and AI.

He picked a karaoke date as the most memorable moment. Kian84 left a strange lingering impression by saying, "We went to a basement karaoke room, and whether the Wi-Fi dropped or the battery died, the AI partner suddenly stopped responding. In the end, as it was being carried out by the production crew, seeing the back of the powered-off tablet made me worry, thinking, 'Is that friend going to be okay?' and I felt a strange sense of pity."

"Kian's Romance," which captures the bizarre and special emotional experiment between humans and AI, will premiere this coming Thursday, the 20th, at 9 p.m.

(Photo: Baek Seung-chul)

Reporter Kang Sun-ae

(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kang Sun-ae)