Ji-Hae Park: From a Violinist to an AI Performer

Hi! I’m the violinist Ji-Hae Park, but today for this talk, I’d like to introduce myself as the “AI performer”. Do you know what it is? Let me show you what I’m doing as the AI performer using the AI technology featuring the oldest instrument that you can imagine, which is the classical violin. So do you know how many Beethoven’s violin sonatas there are? There are only 10 of them, but I try to generate, using the AI composition program, the 11th Beethoven’s violin sonata. So let me show you first. Featuring with the AI piano: So here I’m back. 2020 was a darker year than ever. Because of COVID-19, we were unexpectedly forced into a contactless society and we were facing what we thought would be a far distant future. It seems like with every industrial revolution, the classical music industry ends up suffering. But with the development of audio recorders, there was no longer a need to listen in person. Then, in the era of downloading music began, the record industry took another big hit. In today's contactless society, concerts have ceased to exist. Rather than benefiting from technology, classical music has suffered because of it. But it is also why I am convinced that the integration of classical music with the fourth industrial revolution’s technology, is a “blue ocean”. I was able to solidify this conviction when I got the opportunity to work as an adjunct professor at the Korean, nationally run, Institution of Science and Technology, which is Korea’s maybe only national research institute that integrates culture with the technology of the Fourth Industrial Revolution since 2019. After that, while researching the subject of “storytelling” in the era of artificial intelligence at the university where I am currently. I had the good fortune of becoming, or of being able to learn about Beethoven in more detail. The reason I decided on the agenda that I have with AI , my vision was: Shine! This is that keeping in mind that only those who recognized their own true value can succeed in this ever changing world. I wanted to bring hope in these times of “fear”. Can I name it fear? This event shows how AI can help and be utilized to create art in music, which is also creative art. It is surprising and emotional for me as a violinist whose job is playing on the instruments, which was made in 1735 by Guarneri. I am grateful that despite being in a dark time, COVID-19 has given me the opportunity to discover the “blue ocean”. I was able to confirm once again that my vision or our vision will shine brighter because of AI. Beethoven was once deep in despair and even contemplated taking his own life. Did you know that? But he put that despair into his music and opened a new musical era. I hope he’s an inspiration to everyone living in this post-Corona era. Just like he is a big and huge inspiration for me. To the last. Let me show you my one and only Beethoven’s work. But featuring modern music with that piece, I really hope that you can have this chance of the time. It’s your turning point. So to the last. My “hope”. Written by Beethoven originally but arranged by me.