Korea University conducted research for report that released on December 10
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Korea University’s Business School announced on December 10 that Naver WEBTOON‘s AI-powered recommendation system, AI Curator, has proven effective in reducing the dominance of popular titles while increasing exposure for lesser-known works.
The report “Enhancing Diversity with AI Curator Recommendations” highlights the system’s success in broadening content consumption and providing fairer opportunities for creators.
Naver WEBTOON switched its default content sorting from “Popularity” to “AI Curator” in June 2023. This personalized system uses deep learning to recommend webtoons based on individual preferences, leading to more balanced consumption.
Key metrics showed significant decreases in market concentration:
- Click concentration dropped by 21.9%
- Views concentration decreased by 12.2%
- Payment concentration fell by 23.4%
The AI recommendations increased engagement with existing titles and helped newer works gain traction. Newly launched webtoons saw 4.5 times more clicks, 3.7 times more views, and 3.4 times more purchases than older titles.
Average engagement rates were also significantly higher under the AI system:
- Click-through rates increased by 59.5%
- Views rose by 67.5%
- Payments increased by 62.7%
Naver WEBTOON stated that the findings underscore the growing role of AI in creating a fairer and more diverse digital content landscape.
Sources: Naver Webtoon Newsroom
