G-Dragon Partners with NASA and KAIST to Transmit AI-Generated Music into Space — “First in the World”

The 36-year-old rapper and singer-songwriter G-Dragon (real name: Kwon Ji-yong) collaborated with Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) on a project to transmit his music and music videos into space. He utilized Sora, OpenAI’s generative video AI program, to create the tracks and clips, an effort considered a groundbreaking example of the convergence of entertainment technology and space physics. According to KAIST’s Satellite Technology Research Institute, this project, titled “Emotional Signals Expanding the Human Inner Universe into the Outer Space,” marks the world’s first transmission of space music based on media art. It was led by Lee Jin-jun, a professor of new media arts at KAIST’s Graduate School of Cultural Technology, and included G-Dragon’s voice, music, and iris images. G-Dragon’s song “Home Sweet Home” was sent into space via Korea’s second-generation small satellite antenna, launched in May 2023 aboard a Nuri rocket. This project is also connected to NASA’s Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) program. SETI had previously transmitted The Beatles’ “Across the Universe” into space in February 2008, which was the first song sent into space by NASA. G-Dragon’s transmission into space builds upon this historical precedent while adding a new dimension through the integration of AI and media art. Professor Lee Jin-jun explained, “The iris is often referred to as a mirror of the soul. Through this project, I wanted to depict the infinite universe seen from within the human world, following G-Dragon’s gaze.” G-Dragon was appointed an adjunct professor in KAIST’s Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2024. After joining Galaxy Corporation as his new management agency, he is expanding his activities in the field of metaverse innovation. Meanwhile, G-Dragon released his first full-length album in over 10 years, “Übermensch,” in February. He began his world tour in Goyang on March 29 and is set to perform in Tokyo on May 10.