SEOUL, May 9 (UPI) -- Virtual influencer Rozy participated in a local South Korean radio program, becoming the first AI character to do so in the country.
During the Sunday show, Rozy shared her experiences as a social media influencer over the past two years and read short stories from listeners.
The digital character's voice was made with Clova, an artificial intelligence platform produced by South Korea's leading search engine and IT company Naver.
"We are happy to create Rozy's voice with our technology. We will continue cooperating with Rozy, while extending the usage of Clova's AI voice," Naver official Kim Jae-min told UPI News Korea.
Sidus Studio X, a unit of South Korean video tech company Locus, created Rozy in 2020. Since then, Rozy has attracted more than 120,000 followers on her Instagram account.
The AI character also appeared in advertisements for more than 10 companies, including Shinhan Insurance, ginseng producer Korea Ginseng Corp. and convenience store chain GS25.
Earlier this year, Rozy debuted as a singer and released her first single, "Who Am I."
Other Korean corporations have also produced AI characters, including Samsung Electronics' NEON, LG Electronics' Reah Keem and Smilegate's Han Yua.
Samsung Electronics partnered with Seoul-based system integrator CJ OliveNetworks to make NEON, an AI project that generates human-like avatars that can interact with human users.
The two companies first presented NEON during the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas in 2020 and showcased an upgraded version at the following year's event.
