The Problem of Authenticity in AI-Based Virtual Idols: The Combined Absence of Mythos and Logos

This study begins with following question: What qualities do human-based virtual idols possess that AI-based virtual idols lack? Rather than attributing the difference merely to physical presence or emotional resonance, this research seeks to uncover how the notion of authenticity is constructed differently within the frameworks of logos and mythos. To this end, the study proposes a “fandom framework” for analyzing the formation and enjoyment patterns of K-Pop idol fandoms through the dual lens of logos and mythos. This framework is then applied to a comparative analysis of PLAVE, a human-based virtual idol group, and MAVE:, an AI-based virtual idol group. Using digital ethnographic methods, the study investigates the fandom perceptions and reactions by analyzing online and offline activities and user comments from official channels (X and YouTube) between January and June 2025. The findings reveal that while AI-based virtual idols initially attract attention due to their technical sophistication and elaborate planning, the absence of mythos, which underlies emotional immersion and interacts with logos driven entertainment strategies, emerges as a key barrier to deeper fandom engagement. This absence relegates AI-based idols to mere objects of information consumption, limiting their reception to curiosity or entertainment rather than emotional investment. Without the mythic structures of identification, idealization, and devotion, these idols struggle to generate genuine fandom. Moreover, while AI-based virtual idols demonstrate a global reach and transnational potential as a new genre of cultural content, this paper argues that the development of a sustainable fandom requires the establishment of an AI-specific ontology, emotional resonance mechanisms, and participatory narrative strategies.