The Meeting of Art and Technology: CEO Jang Soon-cheol of 'EmotionWave'
Fusion of AI Technology and Metaverse... Building a New Platform
Introducing Automatic Performance Robots... MOU with Performance Planning Company
Last month, the AI pianist ‘Hanul’ released a digital single album. Hanul is a virtual artist who does not exist in reality but can interact and perform with people in online and metaverse environments. The piano piece ‘Green Spirit,’ composed by Hanul himself, features natural sounds blended in, highlighting a stable yet lively melody that heals the mind and body.
Hanul was introduced to the world by Jang Soon-cheol, CEO of the venture company Emotion Wave. In an interview with Asia Economy on the 10th, CEO Jang said, “Hanul is a form of content that combines AI technology and the metaverse,” adding, “In the future, there will be a day when individuals’ metaverse artists will sing and perform concerts.”
He mentioned that AI composition technology is rapidly advancing. By collecting various songs and converting them into digital sheet music to train the AI, it can produce 10 or 20 songs. It is also possible to create songs with specific tendencies and styles.
For example, if requested to create songs that combine the styles of domestic singer IU and international singer Ariana Grande with a classical feel, the AI can generate multiple songs with that tendency. Of course, human intervention is still needed to enhance the completeness of the songs. CEO Jang said, “To present musically rich and emotionally moving songs that many people will like, there are many parts that require human hands, such as arrangement work.” However, he added, “The AI’s composition ability is improving so fast that even engineers are surprised,” and predicted, “In 20 years, AI composers with frighteningly impressive skills will emerge.”
Emotion Wave is a company creating a new platform that merges AI and the metaverse. They envision a future where anyone can become an artist in a metaverse environment where socio-economic activities take place within virtual reality. Individuals’ metaverse characters can hold microphones, sing AI-composed songs, and hold concerts, creating various content. CEO Jang stated, “The company’s technology and direction will continue to evolve,” adding, “Our existing robotics and AI technologies will merge with diverse content and enable seamless movement between the metaverse and reality.”
CEO Jang, who majored in computer engineering, developed an interest in music through band activities and later studied computer music composition at the Korea National University of Arts for his master’s degree. With the idea of creating a platform that combines technology and artistic content, he started his business immediately after graduation.
He attracted public attention by holding the art project concert ‘Jazz Mechatronica’ at the end of 2017, where an automatic performance robot and a jazz band collaborated. Specially made instruments such as drums, percussion, marimba, electric bass, and acoustic guitar were used for automatic performance. The instruments connected to computers performed in perfect harmony and interacted with artists, demonstrating a harmonious blend of humans and machines. Emotion Wave’s AI robotic instrument ‘RIMA’ has reached a level where it can recognize music and instantly reproduce expert-level performances. Last year, RIMA was showcased at ‘CES 2020,’ the world’s largest technology exhibition.
Meanwhile, Emotion Wave recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ‘Haneul ENT,’ a performance planning company famous for the musical Bungeeman, through Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Content Agency. They are preparing to pioneer a new market for the performance industry, which has been stagnating due to COVID-19, by utilizing the metaverse.
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