NCSOFT Expands AI Innovations into Fashion with New Partnership

NCSOFT Corp., a prominent South Korean game developer and publisher, is broadening its artificial intelligence initiatives beyond the gaming industry to include fashion. On March 15, 2024, the company announced that its AI subsidiary, NC AI, signed a memorandum of understanding with Fashion Group Hyungji Co., a leading apparel manufacturer in South Korea. This collaboration aims to integrate NC AI’s fashion-focused platform, VARCO Art Fashion, into Hyungji’s design, sales, and marketing operations.

The VARCO system utilizes generative AI, trained on industry-specific language and design data, to produce product drafts, model imagery, and marketing visuals. This technology also offers capabilities such as fabric alterations, 2D-to-3D design transformations, virtual fitting, and background synthesis. These features enable brands to preview products before production, thereby streamlining the creative process and enhancing efficiency.

NC AI, which spun off from NCSOFT earlier in 2023, is actively expanding its technology applications beyond gaming. The division has leveraged its expertise in non-player character dialogue, image generation, and voice synthesis to explore opportunities in fashion, retail, and entertainment. The unit has already supplied its VARCO solutions to several domestic brands, including F&F Co., which operates MLB and Discovery Expedition labels, and Shinsegae International Inc. Currently, NC AI is in discussions with approximately ten additional companies to further implement its technology.

“The partnership will accelerate the fashion industry’s AI transformation and help strengthen its global competitiveness,” stated Lee Joon-soo, chief product officer at NC AI. The collaboration reflects NCSOFT’s broader strategy to enhance its AI capabilities across various business sectors.

NCSOFT’s commitment to artificial intelligence is evident in its recent initiatives, including the establishment of a mobile casual games division. In August 2023, the company announced plans to develop new titles that leverage AI and data science to bolster its global competitiveness. Additionally, during that same month, NC AI was selected as one of five tech firms to spearhead Korea’s sovereign AI initiative, which aims to create large-scale language models independent of major US technology firms like OpenAI, the operator of ChatGPT.

This strategic move not only signifies NCSOFT’s ambition to diversify its portfolio but also highlights the growing intersection of technology and fashion, paving the way for innovative advancements in both industries. As the partnership with Hyungji unfolds, it will be closely monitored for its potential impact on the fashion landscape in South Korea and beyond.