Kakao's New AI Turns Webtoons into Quick 30-Second Videos, Cutting Production Costs by 97%

Kakao's Helix Shorts Transforms Webtoons Into AI-Generated Short Videos In Hours

Webtoon fans can now explore stories in an entirely new way, thanks to Kakao Entertainment’s AI-powered short-form video production service, Helix Shorts.

The tool turns static webtoons into engaging 30-second preview videos, offering users a dynamic way to discover content on KakaoPage — the company’s webtoon and web novel platform.

How Does Helix Shorts Work?

Helix Shorts automates what was once a manual, time-consuming video editing process.

Previously, creating a promotional video for a webtoon could take up to three weeks and cost around 2 million won.

Now, the same result can be achieved in just three hours for about 60,000 won.

The technology dissects long webtoon pages into distinct visual segments.

It detects and removes speech bubbles, analyses facial expressions, dialogue, and image composition using AI combined with optical character recognition (OCR), and summarises the plot.

The narration generated from this analysis is transformed into natural-sounding voiceovers using text-to-speech (TTS) tools.

Kakao Page originals' webtoons often feature compelling narratives and artwork tailored for mobile viewing, exploring diverse genres with a focus on engaging serialised storytelling.

Subtitles are added, and the visuals are enhanced with effects like zooms or panning, matched to the emotion of the story.

Helix Shorts also recommends background music that reflects the webtoon’s mood, completing a polished, promotional video ready for viewing.

What Makes Helix Shorts Different?

While promotional shorts for social media have existed before, Helix Shorts simplifies the process by automating the entire creation workflow.

It’s not just text or speech that the AI understands — it interprets visual storytelling elements, emotional cues, and character dynamics.

According to Kakao Entertainment, this deeper understanding sets Helix Shorts apart from other AI tools that rely mainly on text-based data.

Smarter Content Discovery For Users

The shorts are now featured directly on the KakaoPage home screen, making it easier for users to preview and choose new series based on their interests.

AI also personalises which shorts appear based on the viewer’s past behaviour and preferences.

Kim Ki-beom, Chief Technology Officer at Kakao Entertainment, said,

“Through Helix Shorts, we can provide users with an intuitive content exploration experience and creators with new opportunities to effectively promote their works.”

Part Of A Larger AI Ecosystem

Helix Shorts is the latest in Kakao’s AI toolkit, following earlier services like Helix Push and Helix Curation.

The company plans to take things further by introducing AI agents to help automate current manual processes in editing and review stages by mid-2025.

Kakao Entertainment's AI brand, Helix, powers a suite of services designed to enhance user experiences across its platforms, with its first offering, Helix Push, recommending content based on personalized data such as viewing, purchasing, and browsing habits.

Helix service concept

AI’s Rapid Expansion Across Media And Beyond

Kakao is not alone in pushing AI into media production.

Game developer Krafton recently unveiled interactive AI game characters using small language models built with Nvidia’s technology, allowing in-game conversations to feel more human.

These characters were rolled out in the new title Injoi, where early reception has been positive.

In music, artist G-Dragon attracted attention by releasing Home Sweet Home, a music video created using OpenAI’s video generation model Sora.

In advertising, companies like Yanolja and Lotte Home Shopping have embraced AI video tools to produce short-form content for campaigns, seeing substantial cost reductions and higher customer engagement.

According to Global Information, the market for AI in media content creation is projected to surge from $8.21 billion in 2024 to $51.08 billion by 2030, growing at an annual rate of 35.6%.

As AI reshapes how stories are told, from webtoons to music to games, platforms like KakaoPage are showing that the future of digital content may be as fast, flexible, and personalised as the technology behind it.