ChatGPT Composes Melodies on Raspberry Pi Pico Synthesizer | Cryptopolitan
Cornell University’s ECE 4760 class continues to inspire innovative ideas with the help of RP2040 technology.
ChatGPT, the versatile language model, is venturing into musical composition in a remarkable fusion of artificial intelligence and music. A collaborative project led by Filipe dos Santos Branco and Edward Gu has taken the capabilities of ChatGPT beyond its traditional text-based applications. The initiative revolves around generating 10-note melodies using ChatGPT’s language-processing prowess and translating them into music through a Raspberry Pi Pico-based synthesizer. This inventive project is a testament to the adaptability of AI and its potential to explore unconventional domains.
At its core, ChatGPT is a language model designed to understand and generate human-like text. However, in this musical endeavor, it has been repurposed to create melodies. The process begins with a straightforward request: the system is prompted with a musical key, and with the press of a button, ChatGPT generates a 10-note melody in that specific key.
What sets this project apart is the translation of these generated melodies into actual music. A pulse-width modulation (PWM)-based synthesizer, integrated into a Raspberry Pi Pico, takes the output from ChatGPT and plays the melody. While ChatGPT’s compositions may not rival legendary musical pieces like Stairway to Heaven or Spontaneous Devotion, they are a testament to the synergy between technology and creativity.
The intriguing aspect of this project raises a compelling question: Can AI when trained on sheet music rather than text, learn to compose music in various genres and styles? This idea opens up a world of possibilities, where AI could become a valuable tool for musicians and composers looking to experiment with new sounds and styles. While it remains speculative, the notion of AI-driven music composition presents exciting prospects for future research and creative endeavors.
This project finds its origins in the ECE 4760 class at Cornell University, which has consistently fostered innovative ideas. Notably, the course now leverages the RP2040, further expanding the horizons of what students can achieve in their projects.
In summary, ChatGPT’s foray into music composition demonstrates the limitless potential of AI when applied creatively. By marrying AI with music, Filipe dos Santos Branco and Edward Gu have showcased the adaptability of technology and its capacity to surprise us with unconventional applications.
