Flash Today: Robot Makes Debut as Orchestra Conductor in South Korea

Today, July 1st, a historic concert took place in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, where a robot conducted the National Orchestra in front of 950 attendees at a theater. Do you know how this remarkable feat was made possible?

The robot is called AI Conductor and was developed by the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) in collaboration with composer Kim Jin-wook. The robot utilizes a camera and an artificial intelligence system to recognize the gestures and facial expressions of the musicians and adapt its conducting based on the rhythm and emotion of the music.

The robot shared the stage with human conductor Shinik Hahm, who introduced it to the audience and provided guidance during the concert. The robot conducted two musical pieces: Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro" overture and Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5."

The objective of the project is to showcase the possibilities of artificial intelligence in the field of music and explore new forms of interaction between humans and machines. According to the creators of the robot, its purpose is not to replace human conductors but to complement them and offer new experiences to the audience.