A new artificial intelligence (AI)-based service lets users talk with webtoon characters and drive the story themselves.
Naver Webtoon said on the 1st that it launched an AI Story Chat service, "byUs," built on webtoon intellectual property (IP) approved by the original creators.
ByUs is a service where users become the protagonist of a story based on original IP, converse with characters, and craft their own narrative. Its hallmark is enabling users to advance the story grounded in the original universe and character settings by using official IP approved by the creators.
The service offers two content experiences: original stories and fan stories. Original stories begin with an intro built on the original universe and character settings, then continue as users talk with the characters to create a new narrative.
Fan stories are content that let users enjoy creative stories by setting new situations and relationships based on the original characters. It also provides UGC production tools that allow anyone to make and share fan stories themselves, expanding the fan-creation experience based on official IP.
Features to boost user immersion were also introduced. Representative examples include "recommended replies" and "autoplay" to guide the flow of conversation; "snapshots," which deliver images suited to the situation; and "special cuts," a sequence of reward-style images provided by affinity level.
Naver Webtoon plans to expand its IP lineup around titles with strong fandoms, starting with the webtoon "Job Change Log." Kim Shin-hyung, head of IP business at Naver Webtoon, said, "Webtoons are moving beyond content to 'watch' into an 'interactive' realm where fans directly participate in and expand the universe," adding, "Through byUs, we will help users rediscover the appeal of the originals and build a virtuous cycle that leads to deeper attachment to the IP and a stronger lifecycle."