The world has marked a breakthrough in developing artificial intelligence (AI) as a robot with a humanoid face conducted human orchestra during a live concert of Keiichiro Shibuya\u2019s opera \u201cScary Beauty\u201d in Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates on February 4, 2020.<\/p>\n
The robot was seen moving his hands and even fingers to conduct human musicians. The robot was also able to move around to control the whole orchestra.<\/p>\n
Japanese composer Shibuya wrote the music, but the android controls the tempo and volume of the live show, and even sings at times.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis work is a metaphor of the relations between humans and technology. Sometimes the android will get crazy, human orchestras have to follow. But sometimes humans can cooperate very comfortably,\u201d Shibuya said.<\/p>\n
The robot’s technician Kotobuki Hikaru said \u201cThe premise is that the android itself is moving according to its own will.\u201d<\/p>\n
The work\u2019s lyrics are based on literary texts from American \u201cBeat Generation\u201d writer William Burroughs and French author Michael Houellebecq.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe robots and AI that exist now are not at all complete. The focus of my interest… is what happens when this incomplete technology comes together with art,\u201d said Shibuya.<\/p>\n
Some of the audience saw the experiment as fascinating and others preferred the human conductor saying that the human touch was lost.<\/p>\n