Professor Kyogu Lee

Professor Kyogu Lee from the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology at Seoul National University has been named one of TIME's “100 Most Influential People in AI in 2024”. Professor Lee is recognized in the “Shapers” category, which includes individuals who are leading the industry and driving innovative changes.

Professor Lee founded Superton, a company specializing in voice synthesis technology using AI. Superton has gained attention for its work in reproducing the voices of late singers such as Kim Kwang-seok, Kim Hyun-sik, and Yoo Jae-ha through AI technology, in collaboration with various broadcasters.

TIME highlighted that "the K-pop industry is adopting AI technology much faster than the American music industry," and noted that "Professor Lee is at the center of these experiments." Professor Lee commented to TIME, "By utilizing voice AI technology, we can elevate the experience between fans and artists to a new level," and "We will be able to understand artists more deeply without language barriers, beyond just listening."

Professor Lee graduated from the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Seoul National University and earned a Master's degree in Music Technology from New York University, as well as a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Computer Research in Music and Acoustics from Stanford University. Since 2009, he has worked at Seoul National University, serving as the Vice Dean of the Graduate School of Convergence Science and Technology and Head of the Department of Intelligence and Information. He currently serves as the Head of the Applied Technology Research Division at the Artificial Intelligence Institute, Director of the AI Art Research Center, and Associate Professor of the SNU AI CEO program. He also leads the Music Audio Research Laboratory, conducting research on applying machine learning and audio signal processing to voice and music, making significant contributions to the advancement of AI in academia.

Other notable individuals on the TIME 100 AI list include Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI; Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google; Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft; Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA; Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta; and Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind.

Translated by Lee Si Yun (Department of Applied Biology and Chemistry)