Director Kim Sung-soo: AI in 12.12: The Day ‘shows what’s in your imagination’

BUSAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (BUSAN, SOUTH KOREA), 11 OCTOBER 2026 —

Korean Filmmaker Kim Sung-soo Embraces AI as Creative Tool, Not Threat, at Busan Film Festival

The transformation marks a broader industry reckoning with AI’s role in content creation, as filmmakers and producers at Busan—including Korean, Chinese, and global industry leaders—debated how to integrate the technology without sacrificing artistic vision. Kim’s shift came after abandoning Worm Train, an eight-minute short depicting a catastrophic collision between a giant insect and a packed train, when early AI tools failed to render the key scene.

By the time the technology improved months later, Kim had already reassessed its potential. “Technology doesn’t replace creativity,” he said. “It shows what’s in your imagination.” The project forced him to rethink collaboration, leading him to conclude: “I’ll never go back to the way I used to make films.”

Kim’s hybrid approach—using AI for preliminary visuals before finalizing live-action shoots—is set to define his next major project, a seven-part drama series. The series’ nearly 15-minute opening chase sequence on the Gyeongin Expressway, which he described as “enormous financial resources” to film traditionally, will first be generated with AI to determine which shots require actors and where visual effects (VFX) teams should intervene.

For Worm Train, Kim assembled a nine-person team, including an animation art director and a music director, but deliberately limited AI’s role to partial generation, reserving key creative decisions for human oversight. “We chose to generate only part of it,” he explained, “and handle the rest with conventional filmmaking methods.”

The discussion at Busan underscored AI’s growing influence across film and animation, with panelists highlighting its efficiency in iterative processes like concept design. Chinese animation director Li Wei, co-director of the AI-assisted Jiang Ziya, presented a trailer for Born of the Tide, a 105-minute feature about China’s boat-dwelling Tanka community, where AI accelerated early visualization.

“AI can generate many things,” Li said, “but the choice and the details all come down to the director.” Harry Hyun, director and CEO of AI production company MooAm, echoed this, warning that without human direction, AI-generated faces, sets, and lighting risk becoming “identical” and devoid of artistic intent. MooAm now requires its AI artists to have directed at least one live-action short, ensuring creative oversight.

The panel also addressed the practical challenges of AI adoption, including workforce adaptation. Lee Sangwook, producer and team manager at MBC C&I’s AI Contents Lab, noted that even assistant directors must now understand AI workflows, as traditional green screens are replaced by “gray screens marked with tracking points.” His lab is producing Rendering Love, a K-pop romantic comedy about virtual idols, in collaboration with Parasite producer Barunson E&A.

“If even one or two individuals lag on the learning curve,” Lee said, “overall quality can suffer.” The rapid evolution of AI models further complicates training, demanding continuous upskilling.

Beyond technical integration, legal and ethical concerns loom large. Kim stressed that commercial use rules and permissions must be resolved before industry-wide technical standards are set. “Whenever I generate outputs,” he said, “I scrutinize the results closely to ensure they do not infringe upon existing works or violate anyone’s publicity rights.” The director also predicted a future where AI’s role in filmmaking becomes invisible, much like color cinematography today.

“In the future,” Kim said, “we won’t call AI movies ‘AI movies,’ just as we no longer call films ‘color movies.’”

The Busan panel’s insights reflect a global pivot toward AI-assisted production, with implications for Malaysia’s burgeoning film and animation sectors. While local studios have yet to adopt AI at Kim’s scale, the festival’s discussions signal a coming wave of efficiency-driven innovation—particularly in VFX-heavy projects and digital storytelling. Malaysian producers, including those in the K-pop and animation industries, may soon face similar workforce and legal challenges as they explore AI tools.

For now, Kim’s evolution from skeptic to advocate serves as a case study in how creativity and technology can coalesce, provided human vision remains at the helm.

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