Korea's First! 100% Generative AI Feature Film 'I Am Popo' Set to Release in May! Two Posters Unveiled!

The first 100% generative AI feature film in South Korea 〈I Am Popo〉 has confirmed its release in May and is taking significant steps forward. 〈I Am Popo〉 depicts the conflict between an AI that judges based on probabilities and a human who believes in hope, as a robot named 'Popo', born to protect humans, ends up killing a human with potential criminality. This is the first AI feature film in the country.

〈I Am Popo〉 is written and directed by Kim Il-dong, the creator of the popular Naver webtoon [Kkabang], which ranked first among over 90,000 works on the American social media portal Newgrounds.com. The planning, direction, character implementation, and overall scene composition of 〈I Am Popo〉 were completed using generative AI, surpassing the limitations of existing AI films that remained focused on short experimental videos or technical demonstrations, and constructed a dense narrative structure within a 64-minute runtime. This not only marks a change in production methods but also serves as a practical experiment on whether AI can function as a 'creative subject' rather than just a 'support tool'. Beyond technical attempts, it is expected to become a new milestone in domestic AI video production by completing a flow of conflict and emotion that allows the audience to immerse themselves.

Such attempts have already garnered attention on international stages. 〈I Am Popo〉 was officially invited to the special screening section of the 23rd Amur Autumn International Film Festival in Russia, where it was screened twice locally, achieving a full house. This invitation, among over 700 works from more than 70 countries, is seen as a case demonstrating that AI-based feature films are recognized as independent works in the international film community. In particular, audiences who first encountered the film through the festival responded positively, stating, “Despite being an AI-created film, the emotions are conveyed vividly.” This raised expectations for narrative completeness beyond mere technical curiosity. After its first domestic screening at the Jeju AI International Film Festival (JAIFF), it has also participated in the Busan Asian Film Content Market (AFCM), receiving high interest among industry stakeholders both domestically and internationally.

The film unfolds around the events that occur when the artificial intelligence 'Popo', which predicts future crimes, proactively eliminates an elementary school student. The ironic situation where a being once called a 'hero' for saving a baby in the past ends up in court due to another choice forms the core conflict of the work. In the process where 'the logic of algorithms' and 'human emotions' collide head-on, the film questions whether 'probabilistic predictions' can indeed become 'judgments' and whether 'technological judgments' can replace 'human ethics'. Furthermore, it presents a different perspective from existing courtroom dramas through a narrative structure that views human society from the perspective of artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, the two posters released alongside the confirmation of the release date visually encapsulate these issues. By contrasting the cold data imagery with the tension of the hot courtroom space, they hint at the rift between the calculations made by AI and the choices that humans must make. The digital graphic elements contrasting with the silhouettes of the characters reveal both the technological experimental nature and dramatic conflict of the work, further heightening curiosity about the main feature.