The creators of Babyqueen, an AI-generated K-Pop inspired girl band, have apologised after announcing that one of the group's virtual members was leaving the band due to a 'pregnancy'. The announcement, made on Chinese social media platform Xiaohongshu, also known as RedNote, was later deleted after sparking criticism on Weibo.
Bizarre Announcement Shocks Fans
Babyqueen, which consists of five virtual members, launched in September with each member having their own social media account and persona. 'Lead singer' Mity shared the news of her 'pregnancy' in a statement on RedNote, saying: 'Recently, I found out that I'm pregnant. After thinking about it for a long time and talking things over with the company and my members, I've decided to take a break from the team for now to focus on resting and taking care of myself.'
The statement continued: 'This wasn't an easy decision at all, especially for my members and staff who were preparing for this comeback together — I'm truly sorry. Everyone worked so hard, yet plans had to change because of me. I don't take their efforts for granted, and I won't run away from my responsibility.'
Aside from shocking fans who may not have realised the group was AI-generated, the post drew criticism on Weibo, with the announcement accused of 'trivialising women's reproductive experiences'.
Creators Admit to Inventing Scenario
The creators later apologised and deleted the post, admitting they had invented the pregnancy scenario because the pressures of running the five-piece group and creating online lives for all five virtual members had become too much. In their apology, they said: 'We're just a few girls who like K-Pop, and we're still students,' while admitting they 'had not earned a single cent' from the group.
They also suggested that Mity could make a comeback and 'explore two possible career paths: acting or becoming a maternity and infant content creator.'
AI Music Debate Continues
AI music has faced criticism, with many complaining that it often uses copyrighted human art without permission or payment. Critics argue this devalues real songwriting and production and threatens the livelihoods of genuine musicians by flooding streaming platforms with bot-created content.
However, AI music has its fans, including Elon Musk, who defended it at the recent X Takeover event in Texas. 'Calling it slopcore is a misnomer. Frankly it's awesomecore,' Musk said. He added: 'AI music is really good, and the music videos are amazing. It just shows taste. And you're like, "wow, AI can do good taste? That's wild."'
