With the use of AI becoming increasingly normalized across multiple industries, it’s not a surprise to see it integrated into K-pop either. Over the last year, fans have become acutely aware of AI-generated visuals throughout various K-pop music videos. From BLACKPINK’s “Go” and “JUMP,” to ATEEZ’s “Adrenaline” and EXO’s “Crown,” AI-assisted music videos have become more common – and harder to ignore. One of the more recent groups to join this phenomenon is P1Harmony, with their latest comeback for UNIQUE.

On March 12, the FNC Entertainment group released their latest EP, UNIQUE, featuring the title track of the same name. With a new Brazilian funk style in “UNIQUE” and an upgraded visual palette, P1Harmony is not pulling its punches when it comes to upping its game. From the album concept to the group experimenting with new genres and aesthetics, everything feels bigger and better this era, signifying another shift in the group’s overall growth. 

Directed by Shin Yuji in collaboration with the creative studio OBVIOUS, the music video for “UNIQUE” exudes style, grit, and edge, instantly setting it apart from the sextet’s previous entries. As breathtaking as it is, the small bits of AI-generated imagery shown throughout do raise a few questions about where K-pop has been (and will be) heading lately, with “UNIQUE” crediting several AI experts and oloid studio for generating these visuals. 

With numerous K-pop videos already riddled with AI transitions and questionable effects throughout their runtime, it’s become quite difficult to watch a music video and not wonder whether or not there were human artists and visual designers working on these projects. At the rapidly growing rate, however, it seems the industry is steadily grooming its audience to accept this as the new norm. While there are still plenty of fans who are quick to call out certain companies for using AI for visuals and express their disappointment, it doesn’t seem to lead to any real conversations about the ethics of using AI over human creatives.

Thankfully, “UNIQUE” doesn’t rely as heavily on AI visuals as some other videos do, making it a bit easier to digest for those who may not be able to spot them right away. One thing that is appreciated, however, is K-pop companies taking the time to credit the talents behind the camera at the end of a music video and being transparent about their use of AI. Special effects and VFX artists such as DRAGON and Rêve Imageworks (as credited at the end of “UNIQUE”) are essential pieces of the broader puzzle – they’re the ones ensuring that each frame feels like it was taken out of an art gallery. It’s safe to say they’ve succeeded.

But it's not just the title track receiving the music video treatment. On March 18, P1Harmony dropped a surprise MV for the pop/R&B B-side, "L.O.Y.L." – and the contrast couldn't be more deliberate. Where "UNIQUE" leans into crisp, heavily produced visuals, "L.O.Y.L." strips everything back: a lo-fi aesthetic, handheld camera work, and no AI in sight. Instead, the camera follows the members through what looks to be a hotel – trashed rooms, pillow fights, a hotel bell cart – intimate and effortlessly nonchalant in a way that feels almost confrontational next to its counterpart.

FNC releasing both MVs within the same comeback cycle suggests an awareness that the two approaches serve different purposes – and possibly different audiences. Whether that's a conscious creative statement or simply a production decision, it inadvertently makes the argument the industry has been reluctant to have: that human-led visual storytelling and AI-assisted production can coexist, but they don't feel the same, and audiences notice the difference.