INTERVIEW Pozalabs CEO dreams of world where anyone can compose music with AI

Huh Won-gil, CEO of Pozalabs, poses at the AI music producing company's headquarters. Courtesy of Pozalabs

By Pyo Kyung-min

• Published Oct 31, 2023 4:32 PM KST
• Updated Nov 1, 2023 11:01 AM KST

In the wedding industry, music often serves as an emotional backdrop, setting the tone for couples as they embark on a new chapter. Yet, the challenge of finding the perfect song remains difficult. For those well-acquainted with the wedding scene in Korea, Bruno Mars' "Marry You" is all too familiar.

In this context, consider a scenario where the melodies that fill the wedding hall are composed by none other than the couple themselves. The music would encapsulate the unique personalities of the two, the essence of their love story and the memories they've created over time. It's a personalized touch that can transform an ordinary wedding into a profound emotional experience.

This is the vision of Huh Won-gil, CEO of Pozalabs, a company employing artificial intelligence (AI) to revolutionize music composition.

Using its AI technology, Pozalabs crafts and delivers tailor-made music that aligns with its clients' specific needs and emotions. The sound sources for AI come from the company's exclusive database, the brainchild of in-house human composers.

During an exclusive interview with The Korea Times, Huh further explained his mission to pioneer the revolution of AI-driven music creation.

"Think of it as teaching the basics of harmonics to AI. Initially, our human composers equip the AI with the fundamental elements such as the chords, similar to teaching the grammar of a new language. We supply the AI model with necessary data for its learning process, almost treating it as a blank canvas for music creation," Huh said.

This approach empowers Pozalabs' AI to produce music of any genre.

"Even with the smallest dataset covering all music genres, we can produce desired results. This extends to niche music genres with low demand in the Korean market, which can be crafted within a mere three weeks when requested," the CEO said.

Unlike other AI-based music services that often remix existing works, Pozalabs' compositions are free from copyright concerns, as they do not rely on pre-existing sources.

"Other AI-based compositions often mix and match existing works and audio samples, skipping the critical step of genuine composition. This increases the risk of potential plagiarism disputes. In contrast, our AI has the ability to generate completely new music as our human composers start from scratch to provide the AI models with new chords," Huh said.

This makes Pozalabs' creations a good resource for video content creators who often face copyright issues for their background music.

"From an ordinary composer's perspective, it can be devastating to realize that their music has been used to create AI-generated songs that closely mimic their work, presented as a new composition and then preferred by others over their original pieces. To deter such practices is precisely why we are developing an independent learning model."

Due to its relative freedom from copyright concerns, Pozalabs has not only become popular among individual video creators but has also secured partnerships with major Korean companies, including CJ ENM and Naver. This is a remarkable feat for a startup celebrating its sixth anniversary.

"I believe our most significant accomplishment is that we've made AI-generated music actually usable. Other AI startups sometimes struggle with immediate usability, as the quality might not always meet expectations. However, our pride lies in that our music is not only used in broadcasting but also collaboratively embraced by several major corporations due to its impressive musical quality," Huh said.

Huh proudly explained the importance of high-quality music composed using AI technology.

"During our first four years, sales were rather scarce. Regardless of affordability and resolved copyright issues of AI-generated music, people wouldn't take an interest in AI music if its quality does not match their standards. This is why our primary focus has been on ensuring that AI produces top-notch music. We began to see the fruits of our labor about two years ago. Now, when people use our music, the feedback is overwhelmingly positive," he said.

Future of AI through CEO's eyes

The 30-year-old CEO openly confessed that his academic journey didn't start with a deep dive into AI technology.

"I didn't initially have much interest in AI during my university studies even though my undergraduate major was computer science. It was more of a coincidence that I stumbled into an AI-related contest, which eventually led me toward the creation of an AI music platform," Huh explained.

Huh's curiosity about AI was sparked, according to him, "by the concept of how convenient it would be for AI technology to handle tasks I had in mind."

"When I first ventured into the AI field, people spoke to me with skepticism, with many questioning, 'Why are you so invested in stuff that won't make a lot of money?' Yet, I believed that a moment would come when AI could seamlessly take over for us. Take Google Search, for example. It requires sifting through individual links to locate desired information. I felt it was only natural that people would seek to streamline these processes using AI."

His vision has now transformed into a reality. Yet, as Pozalabs takes its place at the forefront of the AI industry, the CEO acknowledges that there are significant challenges the Korean AI sector must conquer to keep up with global trends.

Among these challenges, copyright is a prominent issue.

"Current laws don't acknowledge AI-generated works as meeting the criteria for copyright protection. It's a common issue both in Korea and internationally. However, I believe music, whether created by human hands or AI, holds value when it resonates with audiences. As we continue to produce more songs and the public embraces them, I hope that one day, works generated by AI will be acknowledged as valuable creations in their own right," he said.

Another challenge highlighted by Huh is the generational gap in the perceptions of AI.

"While there are individuals of all ages who engage with AI, there remains a distinct gap in the extent to which they adapt to and accept this technology. In many cases, elderly users lean towards merely recognizing its existence without fully embracing its potential. It's disheartening to realize that those who could benefit most from this assistance often find it unfamiliar and choose not to utilize it."

Huh underscores that confronting these challenges requires the courage to address these emerging issues head-on.

"Fear or hesitation with technology can hinder its development and utilization," he noted. "It's crucial to understand that the problems are natural hurdles in the ongoing transition. Hastily halting advancement due to concerns is not the answer. Retreating from the AI industry is not a viable solution, as AI is a global competition."

He continued, "The landscape already has numerous large-scale AI models. Our approach should focus on advancing this technology, followed by social consultation and policy adjustments, rather than imposing excessive regulations."

In contrast to the EU's regulations, Korean law has yet to introduce bans on AI technology. The EU's legislation categorizes risks posed by the technology into four levels, based on the extent of infringement on basic rights and system transparency, and explicitly bans the use of AI classified as "unacceptable risk."

Huh asserts that regulatory measures should be cautious in their implementation.

"As a participant in the AI industry, I genuinely advocate for a balanced regulatory approach. Excessive regulation must be avoided. It would be wiser to allow the market to function organically and address issues as they arise. Premature regulation driven by public sentiment or fear could potentially stifle the prospects of this industry," he said.

Looking ahead, Pozalabs is currently recruiting vocalists, with the goal of integrating human voices into AI-generated music. While the vocals are yet to be added in Pozalabs' current creations, this development is scheduled to be incorporated into the upcoming LAIVE app, slated for release early next year.

Huh expressed his aspirations, saying, "My ultimate goal is to make music creation an accessible experience for everyone through LAIVE. I also aim to enhance the music composition process, ensuring that the journey of music creation is enjoyable and efficient with the assistance of AI."

Huh and his Pozalabs collectively share a dream of shaping a "world where anyone can become a composer." They aspire to be advocates for "promoting the value of music creation worldwide."

"I hope Pozalabs becomes the go-to choice when people want to compose music or enhance their special moments with music," he said.