'Steelay' opens new era for AI feature films

Korea has ushered in a new era for AI feature films with the release of the science-fiction action movie Steelay. The film premiered in local theaters on October 21 and generated significant pre-release buzz due to its extensive use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools throughout the production process. Steelay tells the story of Yoon Kang, a young man who dons his father's combat suit and joins forces with the AI Ara to combat a virus and a rogue autonomous robot called AIRA.

As AIRA begins to view humans as threats, the film reflects current real-world concerns about agentic AI and autonomous decision-making systems where machines operate without human intervention. At 90 minutes, Steelay is the longest Korean AI feature film to date, surpassing shorter AI movies like I m Popo and Man in Hanbok. Produced by Laon Company Plus with a budget of less than a billion won ($750,000) and a six-month production timeline, Steelay showcases the potential of independent creativity to manifest on screen.