MBC Program “Midnight Horror Story” Airs New Episode With AI Instead Of Real Actors
MBC’s entertainment show, Midnight Horror Story, recently drew significant attention after airing their recent episode with AI images instead of real actors.
Midnight Horror Story Season 4 broadcasted an episode on July 14 with AI-generated images in its retelling of a story, replacing its usual format. The show otherwise uses reenactments featuring real-life actors or illustrations for scenes that are too difficult to be acted out.
On July 17, KST, Lim Chae Won, the director of Midnight Horror Story, talked in detail about the decision to use AI-generated images for the program in an interview. He revealed that the production team decided to use AI during the planning stage of season 4 of the show. The last four episodes have all featured generative AI images.
Addressing the various criticisms raised by viewers, Lim said that the production team has taken “the majority opinion that AI images disrupt viewer immersion very seriously.”
Since it is difficult for AI to create consistent images, it is challenging to apply them to entire episodes. We plan to reduce their use and replace them with illustrations in the future.
— Lim Chae Won
The director also got candid about the reason behind AI use, stating that the “deteriorating broadcasting environment” has cornered production teams, cutting down the necessary budget to produce content severely.
AI images can be produced in a timely manner compared to illustrations, making post-production easier and faster at a lower cost compared to reenactments or illustrations.
The introduction of AI image reenactments was an unavoidable choice to reduce production costs.
— Lim Chae Won
When asked if the program is going to permanently replace human actors with AI, Lim responded that they will follow the viewers’ lead and do what maximizes their enjoyment of the show.
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