The Influence of AI on Webtoons: What About the Future? An Ontological and Macroeconomic Perspective.

Abstract

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Webtoon industry has fundamentally altered the lifecycle of digital comics, from initial ideation to global distribution. This article investigates how AI technologies—specifically Generative Adversarial Networks (GANs) and Large Language Models (LLMs)—influence narrative and visual production. By examining technical advancements alongside ethical implications regarding intellectual property and representation, we illuminate how AI redefines human creativity. Through a comparative case study of Lore Olympus, the hybrid studio model of Solo Levelling and AI-assisted productions such as The Knight of the Frozen Flower, this paper evaluates the tension between artistic "soul" and algorithmic efficiency. The study validates a shift toward a "synergetic ontology," where the creator evolves into an "author-curator". Furthermore, we address the macroeconomic impact of Neural Machine Translation (NMT) and sentiment analysis on digital welfare and global market accessibility. The findings suggest that while AI risks stylistic standardization (H1), its strategic use in hybrid pipelines facilitates a new era of globalized storytelling where readers act as data-driven co-creators (H2).