Koji Sakurai and Po-Chun Yen Decode Narrative and Aesthetics Beyond Algorithmic Sampling

Generative AI is sweeping across the globe, triggering a new wave of structural transformation in content industries, design, music creation, and beyond. How should creators re-anchor their value amid the AI浪潮? The 2026 'Taipei Cultural & Creative Masters Salon' series launches with the annual theme 'From AI to I,' kicking off with a special dialogue between Japanese composer, arranger, and music producer Koji Sakurai and Po-Chun Yen, the visual director of Taiwan's 2024 Cultural Olympics Pavilion. Both shared first-hand insights from their experiences navigating digital transformation in music and design, and now confronting the AI wave, discussing the transformative opportunities AI technology brings.

Having spent over three decades in Taiwan, Koji Sakurai—known for arranging classics like Chang Yu-Sheng’s 'I期待' and A-Mei’s 'Lonely Tequila'—has witnessed the full evolution of the music industry from analog to digital to AI. Sakurai admits that AI’s pace of advancement is astonishing: it can now rapidly separate audio tracks, enhance string textures, and his current AI vocal database contains over 130 voice types across languages and styles. In fact, several of his 2026 works were completed entirely on a single computer.

However, Sakurai points out that AI algorithms, based on big data probabilities, tend to produce the safest, most mainstream chords and melodies, inadvertently weakening a work’s originality and emotional warmth. 'The real challenge in creation isn’t generating possibilities, but selecting the “best version.”' Sakurai likens a memorable restaurant’s signature dish to a chef’s personal story and memories; music is no different. 'A creator’s most important task isn’t producing more content, but using their five senses and life stories to choose the answer they believe in from countless options.'

Sakurai believes that while algorithms can generate endless options, it’s still the human creator who selects the 'best version.'

'Forces of technological disruption shook me even in university,' laughs Po-Chun Yen, visual director behind Golden Melody Awards branding. Majoring in Flash web design, he saw the technology become obsolete the year after graduation. Having lived through the golden age of physical records to the shift toward digital streaming, Yen believes designers should not worry about 'being replaced' by AI, but rather consider 'how to push creativity to unprecedented extremes with AI’s assistance.'

Yen once led a documentary project where AI helped sort through over 100 hours of audiovisual material—a task that would have taken months—completed in under two weeks. This experience showed him that by delegating repetitive labor to AI, designers can free up mental space for value articulation and cultural curation. 'In the future, there may no longer be a single role called “designer,” but rather cross-domain creators with strategic, educational, consulting, and integrative capabilities. One’s unique cultural recipe will determine irreplaceability,' Yen states.

Yen emphasizes that by offloading repetitive tasks to AI, designers can focus more energy on true creative value creation.

Taipei Cultural & Creative (Taipei CC) has long been committed to empowering the cultural and creative ecosystem, building a platform for cross-domain exchange and knowledge dialogue by inviting creators and practitioners from diverse fields to share frontline experiences. The 2026 'Taipei Cultural & Creative Masters Salon' adopts 'From AI to I' as its annual theme, inviting heavyweight speakers from design, film, music, and technology to explore the challenges and opportunities creative professionals face in the AI era. Taipei CC’s General Manager, Lillian Liu, states, 'Every technological revolution redefines creative methods, but what truly touches hearts remains the creator’s unique perspective, emotion, and values.' Generative AI brings not just tool innovation, but an opportunity to rethink the irreplaceable role of 'humanity' in creation. 'The 2026 Masters Salon, themed “From AI to I,” aims to help more people discover their own creative positioning and future possibilities through real experiences shared by creators across fields.'

Taipei CC continues to support the evolution of the cultural and creative industry, encouraging creators to return to the value of 'I'—their personal viewpoints, cultural backgrounds, and life experiences—to create irreplaceable works and impact in a rapidly changing world.