SEOUL – A new idol group has entered the K-pop scene, but there is no entertainment agency behind it. There is a washing machine.

AI-Dol, the five-member virtual girl group from LG Electronics, breaks with the traditional K-pop roles of vocals, dance and rap. Instead, each member takes on a role inspired by a key washer-dryer feature, from large capacity and all-in-one washing and drying to artificial intelligence-powered laundry sensing.

Launched on Aug 28, AI-Dol is the South Korean home appliance-maker’s first virtual idol group, created to promote the 2026 version of its AI WashCombo, news reports said on Aug 31.

The all-in-one appliance has a capacity of 25kg for washing and 21kg for drying – the largest in South Korea – and features a 7-inch (18cm) wide display. Its AI features include “AI time sensing”, which calculates cycle times within three seconds of detecting a load.

Under the fictional AWC Entertainment, the group has released its own song, I Wash, a funky electronic track designed to evoke the product’s advanced AI technology.

The song repeatedly drops the product name into its hook, alongside laundry-themed lyrics such as “wash and spin”.

Its music video teaser has gone viral for its take on the familiar visual playbook of a K-pop girl group, from carefree shots of the members wandering the streets to styled studio concept photos.

The group is set to remain active across digital channels through the end of September.

“Washing machines are already a familiar household essential across generations, so we needed something fresh and unexpected to highlight what sets our latest product apart,” an LG Electronics official told a local news media.

It is not the first time LG Electronics has turned to virtual personalities to promote its products, but AI-Dol marks its first attempt at creating an entire group.

The company previously introduced virtual influencer Kim...