ChatGPT is a high-performance AI tool, but how well does it really know K-pop?

With the prevalence of AI technology, ChatGPT gained rapid prominence late last year for its remarkable ability to generate responses to virtually any question.

As a language model, ChatGPT has been trained on an extensive dataset to provide relevant and coherent information in seconds. This led to its widespread popularity among users.

But how well does it know the K-pop industry, one that is constantly evolving each day? To start off, HallyuSG puts ChatGPT to the test by asking what are the latest K-pop songs to determine just how well-versed it is in this ever-changing industry.

1. Latest K-pop songs?

From the response, it’s clear that ChatGPT’s knowledge cutoff date is in September 2021, which greatly limits their ability to provide timely news or information about K-pop.

Though the list of “latest” songs provided by ChatGPT consisted entirely of tracks from the year 2021, there was also an interesting inclusion of Peaches (2012) by IU.

This was surprising because the song was released a whole decade back in 2012, and its official English title was “Peach”.

2. Current top K-pop groups?

Once again, ChatGPT’s responses are constrained by its cutoff date of September 2021.

ChatGPT states that the groups were chosen based on various factors such as “popularity, sales, and overall impact in the industry”. Despite this, I want to find out if ChatGPT has any personal favourites.

3. Favourite K-pop groups?

ChatGPT declares a neutral stance, stating that it has no personal preferences and can only provide a list of popular K-pop groups.

But this list is different from what was provided when it was previously asked about the top K-pop groups, despite being largely similar. With that, I want to see if ChatGPT can introduce us to some relatively less popular or underrated K-pop idols.

4. Who are some underrated K-pop idols?

It’s a commendable effort, though, to include brief descriptions of each group for fans to get a rough understanding of each act.

K-pop idols have also become increasingly versatile, venturing into various other fields like acting and guesting on variety programmes.

To evaluate the breadth of ChatGPT’s knowledge, I explore how well it can provide insights into K-pop idols’ activities beyond music.

5. Top K-pop idols turned actors?

6. Funniest K-pop idols in variety shows?

It appears that ChatGPT has some limitations when it comes to accurately identifying K-pop idols turned actors and variety stars. Actors and television personalities were included in the lists provided.

To narrow it down further to a local context, I test ChatGPT’s proficiency in providing information on activities of K-pop idols in Singapore.

7. Top K-pop concerts in Singapore recently?

ChatGPT delivers a relatively generic answer without much elaboration other than details like the venue and concert date. Responses are also based on its knowledge cutoff date in 2021.

To end it off, I pose ChatGPT a potentially controversial question.

8. Which K-pop idols love Singapore the most?

ChatGPT cleverly answers by maintaining its impartiality without a definitive answer, while acknowledging certain K-pop idols who have mentioned it previously.

Our take: Overall, ChatGPT undisputedly has a vast knowledge base. But like any other AI, it lacks the emotion to engage deeper like any other fan.

The listicle format of their responses also offers relatively relevant answers that can be useful to introduce new fans to various aspects of the K-pop industry.

However, ChatGPT still falls short due to several limitations like untimely updates and occasional inaccuracies. From these few questions with ChatGPT, it suggests that it may not be entirely comprehensive in its knowledge of K-pop idols’ multifaceted careers too.

ChatGPT may offer a fun platform to experiment with.

But if you’re looking for more meaningful discussions and connections, it might be a better idea to communicate and connect with other K-pop fans instead.