When you hear “artificial intelligence” what’s the first thing that comes to mind? Think of this as a textual Rorschach test. Maybe you’re tempted to live your darkest fantasies in Westworld, frustrating video game A.I.’s, or Will Smith hilariously failing to seduce Sophia the robot? If you think of A.I. and sex in the same sentence, then I implore you to take a deep, introspective look at yourself. No, what I want you to think about is the future of music. I recently listened to an episode of The Wall Street Journal’s, The Future of Everything, podcast where they discussed A.I. producing original songs.
It’s quite shit. The point is, you just heard a completely original tune crafted by a non-sentient being. It has gotten to a point where you could even command Alexa to play a playlist of terribly crafted A.I. produced songs. The playlist is called DeepMusic, which you’ll discover is an oxymoron once you listen to the music. Listen, I’m positive A.I. music will get better, we’re witnessing the primitive-caveman stage of a developing technology. If you want to see an example of how A.I. crafts songs check out this article on PCMag!
The introduction of A.I. crafted music has the potential to disrupt the Billboard music charts. Especially, if it ever produces something good. Yeah, I’m not a fan of the current state of A.I. music, but I’m hopeful. It’s amazing to hear a completely computer-generated song, it’s like if a gang of monkeys coordinated and formed a rock band. Imagine the sight of a silverback gorilla playing the bass. As a matter of fact, I found our rhythm guitarist.
- What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear “artificial intelligence and music”?
- What did you think of the Google A.I. song?
- Do you think A.I. music will ever take over “original” music?
- Will A.I. crafted music ever become mainstream?
This new Alexa skill will play music generated by artificial intelligence, The Verge, Mar. 14, 2018.
AI Has Been Creating Music and the Results Are...Weird, PCMag, Dec. 23, 2017.
AI could be the future maestro of music education, VentureBeat, Feb. 15, 2018.
Hi Jorge,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed the topic of your blog! In response to your questions:
1. The first thing that comes to mind for some reason is autotune. I feel that autotune technology was the first step for A.I. music because autotune can really modify the voice of artists.
2. Honestly, I was not a fan of the Google A.I. song at all. It is not my taste and I don't want to listen to it ever again.
3. I don't think A.I. music will ever take over "original" music because part of the experience of listening to music is the artist themselves. People want to put a face to an artist and song because they want to get to know the person behind the music. I think that without a real person behind the music, people would not be as interested in the music. While DJs do not necessarily sing their songs, they still create the song and there is a person behind the music.
3. No, I don't think A.I. crafted music will ever become mainstream because of my point above. I still think people want to see a real person behind the music.
Hello Alex,
DeleteThank you for your comment! I'm glad that we agree on how terrible the Google A.I. song is.
I agree with your statement regarding question #3 of my blog post. You're correct in saying that part of the allure in enjoying an artist's music lies in enjoying the artist as a whole. That's why shows like Behind the Music and documentaries based on artists exist. I'm reminded of the Bill Cosby conviction that was finalized this week. Separating the artist from the choices the individual makes is a difficult question of moral judgement.
For myself, I find it difficult to enjoy the artist without liking the person. I imagine that A.I. music will face the same difficulties in the future.
Hey Jorge, I also love music and the fact that there is artificial intelligence out there is crazy. I love oldies and 90's music a lot and love seeing the waves of music that come through the decades. I've always thought "hmmmm I wonder what the next big genre or type of music is going to happen next?". Maybe it's artificial intelligence music lol, but I don't think it will. Music is great because people are great. People have emotion and feelings and pour that out into crafting amazing songs. How would artificial intelligence convey feelings if they don't have feelings? Personally, my favorite music includes bands like The Eagles, Steve Miller Band, Elton John, Tom Petty, and RHCP. I can't imagine AI being able to produce songs like that. However, I can see AI becoming big in songs like EDM because there is a simplicity to it.
ReplyDeleteHello Lauren,
DeleteYou brought up an interesting point about A.I. music and EDM. Judging by the current state of A.I. music, it's going to be difficult for computer-generated music to catch on. The biggest chance that this music has, in becoming mainstream, has to be in EDM-type music. Like how you mentioned before, the real connection in my love of music comes from listening to a song that resonates with me, which normally means that I can relate to the feelings the artist is experiencing.
I like that you're an old soul when it comes to music! Sounds like you would've been in your element had you lived in the 70s.