Artificial intelligence has officially infiltrated our health care, education and daily lives. But with its recent stride in popular music, the question remains: How will the music industry be impacted by AI?
Four years ago, pop star Grimes boldly predicted on American theoretical physicist and philosopher Sean Carrollās Mindscape podcast that once Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) goes live, human art will be doomed.
āTheyāre gonna be so much better at making art than us,ā she expressed. Although those comments sparked a meltdown on social media, as AI had already upended many blue-collar jobs across several industries, as first claimed by TIME. There is no denying that the controversial singer had foreshadowed todayās climate.
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⬠original sound - ALTĆGO
From popular DJ David Guetta using the technology to add a vocal in the style of rapper Eminem to a recent song, to the TikTok famous twin DJs ALTĆGO using it to make an anthem in the style of Charli XCX, Ava Max and Crazy Frogāthe world simply canāt get enough of AI, with some of us even coming dependent on it:
In fact, Grimes (who is highly recognised for shaking up the music industry) has publically invited fellow musicians to clone her voice using AI to create new songs. According to the BBC, she announced that she would split 50 per cent of royalties on any successful AI-generated song and tweeted to her over 1 million followers: āFeel free to use my voice without penalty.ā However, not all musicians feel as enthusiastic about the changing industry.
Rapper Drake expressed great displeasure over an AI-generated cover of him rapping Ice Spiceās āMunch (Feelin’ U)ā and vocalised that this was āthe final straw.ā Shortly after, Universal Music, which he is signed under, successfully petitioned streaming services to remove a song called āHeart on my sleeveā which used deepfaked vocals of him and The Weeknd. They argued that āthe training of generative AI using our artistsā musicā was āa violation of copyright law.ā
A growing number of AI researchers have vocalised and warned that its capability of automating specific tasks, algorithm influence and healthcare contribution has not only created a powerful and hopeful future but also a dangerous one, potentially filled with misinformation.
So much so that an open letter signed by dozens of academics from across the worldāincluding tech billionaire and now owner of Twitter, Elon Muskāhas called on developers to learn more about consciousness, as AI systems become more advanced. So, could the development of AI be the end of creative originality?
āIt hasnāt affected my way of creating because I try to create outside the box,ā Jordain Johnson, aka Outlaw the Artist, a British-born but LA-based rapper and songwriter, told SCREENSHOT. āI work with international artists so my sound is innovative within itself. For instance, my song āSlow you downā mixes drum and bass and G-funk, so itās a lot of different energies that canāt be mimicked by AI.ā
Outlaw argues that AI could be a cost-free marketing tactic for up and coming artists trying to reach more listeners. Advertising, features, music videos can all be taken care of thanks to Artificial Intelligence.Ā While the rapper remains hopeful that the new technology wonāt affect his art, it is an industry that is moving at breakneck speeds and is already on a dangerous trajectory. The music industry is strained enough, and the introduction of a tool that lacks nuance, spontaneity, and the emotional touch that only humans can provide will only strain it further.
According to Verdict, AI-generated music will never be able to gather a mass following because it lacks emotional intelligenceāhuman creativity and ambition is quickly being diluted by our technological advancements, with little signs of a slow down. āMusic is often considered a reflection of the times,ā so for this reason āthe most compelling case for AI music is to serve as a companion to human musicians, catalysing the creative process.ā
In agreement, Outlaw describes it as a natural progression: āWe moved from analogue to digital, from LimeWire to SoundCloud, and most notably, from CDs to online streaming. Itās forever evolving but itāll always have a nostalgic feel to it. Iām always looking and thinking about the next thing so AI is a tool. Some tools are sharp and could cut you, but theyāre always useful.ā But what happens when the tools stop needing a smith?