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In an era of AI anxiety, SBS turns to tech to cut costs by up to 60%

Published: 01 Jun. 2026, 16:56 Updated: 01 Jun. 2026, 17:07

KIM JU-YEON
[email protected]

Park Shin-hye as Kang Bit-na in ″The Judge from Hell″ (2024-) [SBS]

Media group SBS is banking on justice-serving storytelling and sequels to keep viewers hooked on its drama lineup through the first half of 2027 while turning to AI-assisted production to enhance visuals and cut production costs.

SBS’s new releases from June through the first half of 2027 include the second season of “The Judge from Hell” (2024-), starring Park Shin-hye, which the broadcaster confirmed for the first time at its media event in western Seoul on Monday.

Other releases include "Manager Kim," which follows So Ji-sub's special agent-turned-father character who resorts to violence to save his kidnapped daughter, and "The Long Shot Trial," a court drama about a rundown law firm taking on difficult cases.

“When people think of legal dramas, they usually imagine stiff courtroom scenes. But this is a cathartic drama led by a refreshing, straight-talking character who never backs down, even in the face of enormous power,” Lee Je-hoon, who plays former star attorney Kwon Baek in “The Long Shot Trial,” said at Monday’s conference.

Actors Lee Je-hoon, left, and Ha Young, the stars of upcoming series "The Long Shot Trial," pose at SBS's media event at the Hotel Naru Seoul MGallery Ambassador in Mapo District, western Seoul, on June 1. [SBS]

Such exciting yet therapeutic storytelling was one of three key themes SBS executives laid out for their strategy to renew popular series, alongside solid world-building and compelling characters.

“Reality can feel frustrating, with common sense and justice arriving slowly and often falling short,” programming director Kim Gi-seuk said. “Through our shows, we wanted to offer something refreshing, satisfying and cathartic.”

Hong Seong-chang, head of SBS drama production subsidiary Studio S, added that the broadcaster can continue developing returning series because of the strong trust between its production teams and actors, as well as the studio's commitment to "add something new" without relying on previous formulas for the sequels.

Studio S chief Hong Seong-chang, left, and SBS programming director Kim Gi-seuk pose for a photo at SBS's media event at the Hotel Naru Seoul in Mapo District, western Seoul, on June 1. [SBS]

The company's executives and producers were also adamant that AI would make the broadcaster’s content more competitive, citing cost savings and its ability to create scenes that are difficult to film, though producers acknowledged the technology’s limitations.

In the upcoming series "Manager Kim," for instance, there is a "fairly long AI-generated scene," Studio S chief Hong said, adding that using AI cut production costs by more than 60 percent.

Lee Seung-young, the director of "Manager Kim," said his team used AI "very selectively" where the tool's weakness in portraying fine details wouldn't show.

"It's hard to communicate with AI. When you edit with AI, the tool changes what you ask but also alters other parts too," Lee said. "It also has limits in capturing the lived-in texture of a real set — the sweat, dust and physical presence of actors on location."

So Ji-sub in ″Manager Kim,″ adapted from the eponymous webtoon [SBS]

In “Taxi Driver 3” (2025-26), AI was used briefly, cut by cut, for scenes including ocean waves, dog-fighting and a car explosion.

“Our producers were initially resistant to AI, but after I was trained in it, I essentially made everyone use it,” Hong said. “Now the paradigm has completely shifted. AI does not take away creators’ rights. Rather, it can become a powerful support tool for creating [content] and help bring about technological innovation."

Hong added that all AI-generated scenes were made after fully consulting production staff and creatives, and that viewers will be notified through an on-screen disclaimer before each episode airs.

"AI allows us to not give up on scenes we otherwise couldn’t have realized,” he said. "By showing stronger visuals that better serve the story, I think viewers may come to respond positively to it.”

BY KIM JU-YEON [[email protected]]