Fans were excited when the renowned Thai comic Kai Hua Ror launched a special issue called AI < VER 1.2023 Beta>, created by artificial intelligence, at the 51st National Book Fair at Queen Sirikit Center.
Before AI < VER 1.2023 Beta>, publishing houses in Japan and the US had already launched AI-made comics. This inspired Pimpicha Utsahajit, executive director of Vithita Group, to produce the AI edition of Kai Hua Ror.
"Working in the content industry, I have been following news about technology and the launch of AI comics. This made me feel that issues created by AI have become relevant to the industry. It is a trend, so I wanted to explore AI and create a project about it," said Pimpicha.
The executive director of Vithita Group discussed the idea of an AI version of Kai Hua Ror with the creative team responsible for planning content strategy and direction. This team is knowledgeable about the latest trends and technology. Some people may wonder if Kai Hua Ror is experimenting to find a way to replace employees with AI. However, Pimpicha denied this.
"I was curious to experiment with an AI issue which is considered a sandbox project. As a person who works closely with humour, I understand that it is subjective but I was curious about the sense of humour of an AI. My hypothesis was to see what would happen if an AI had to create a comic. With this idea in mind, it was more of a trial. I do not intend to use AI to replace anyone at all."
The creative team used two tools -- GPT and DALL-E -- to create the AI issue. GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) is a type of language model that is capable of generating human-like text. DALL-E can design and generate images from text descriptions. Pimpicha explained that the team had to give GPT some input called prompts.
"The team provided ideas, plots and jokes to GPT. After GPT generated an idea for the team, the idea was used to generate an image using DALL-E. Most people may be familiar with Midjourney more than DALL-E, but my team was familiar with DALL-E more, so the team chose to use that programme," she explained.
The process of creating the AI issue is similar to making a traditional comic book. First, a creative team comes up with an idea that they want to communicate to readers. Then, the team provides the idea to a cartoonist who transforms the idea into an image. The team reviews the result and provides feedback to the cartoonist who may have to make some alterations based on the feedback.
"For the AI issue, instead of working with a cartoonist, we gave inputs to the AI. If the AI created an unsatisfactory result, the creative team input prompts for it to make alterations," she elaborated.
An example of the creative process involved a gag about Godzilla which appears in the middle of the city. The crowd looks at Godzilla. A caption says: "There go my weekend plans."
"For the joke about Godzilla, the team input prompts for a one-panel gag. Then, GPT suggested the idea that a Godzilla should stand in a certain location. We can tell GPT we do not like the joke and ask it to revise it. We can tell it to add a twist, a darker tone or more intensity. The good thing about AI is it does not make a fuss about our feedback or become discouraged by it," said Pimpicha.
The cover of the AI issue depicts a robot sitting on an islet which is a signature scene that fans of Kai Hua Ror may recognise. The fonts used for the comic's title look different from the usual issues. Pimpicha explained that the creative team wanted DALL-E to redesign the fonts, but DALL-E does not recognise Thai fonts.
"We uploaded the original comic title to DALL-E, but the result came out totally different from the original. A staff member who knew data science decided to generate one letter at a time and put them together. We were worried that readers might not understand the title, so we prepared two versions. The first version had the original fonts, except the second letter changed to A and the third letter changed to I.
"The second version was the one that appears in the comic book. We decided to use the AI-generated version because we felt that it was different. If we want to claim that this comic book is created by AI, we should use this kind of font," said Pimpicha.
The 32-page AI issue was launched in a small size that can fit in the palm of the hand. It was offered as a promotion at the National Book Fair. Also, it can be purchased individually for 55 baht. The executive director of Vithita Group expressed her satisfaction with the outcome of the AI issue, which has received a lot of positive feedback.
"The team and I learned a lot from this special project. We had to step out of our comfort zone and learn new things. Learning how to prompt AI is challenging. Currently, we have no plans to create another AI issue. The feedback was fantastic and we did not expect to receive this much attention. At the book fair, our staff overheard many people talking about our AI issue and showing interest in it. We heard that some buyers took offers via social platforms to purchase this special issue for others. I was glad that our fans continue to welcome our products warmly."
As an executive of the longstanding publishing company, Pimpicha recognises that AI is a trend that cannot be avoided, but she believes that there are human capabilities that cannot yet be replaced by AI -- not for a few years to come.
"People should step outside of their comfort zones and reskill themselves. While some people may consider AI as competition, it can be seen as an opportunity for collaboration that can lead to better outcomes. I would like my team to have a growth mindset because we cannot control technology disruption, but we can control our value and potential," she said.
Established in 1973, Kai Hua Ror will celebrate its 50th anniversary this year. The executives have managed to keep Kai Hua Ror alive despite digital disruption by keeping it as a brand, not only a comic book. Its characters have appeared in various types of content and on various platforms.
In 2021, the Tourism Authority of Thailand teamed up with Kai Hua Ror to use its comics panel to promote Trat's islet which looks like the signature island in Kai Hua Ror. In the same year, Kai Hua Ror collaborated with the WHO to launch a special issue educating people about the Covid-19 pandemic.
"More collaboration with other brands in different industries will gradually be launched in the second half of this year. It is our goal to continually adapt and never stop moving forward. We believe in the soft power of cartoon characters and are determined to create smiles and spread laughter to our readers as much as possible."
