The prospect of artificial intelligence (AI) entering the music world has been met with mixed emotions. Music being composed and produced mainly by AI has always been a distant speculation of possibilities, until recently when a track featuring AI versions of superstars Drake and The Weeknd surfaced on Spotify and Apple Music. Although the track was quickly removed due to its deceptive purpose, it was an eye opener for many in the music industry, as it sheds light to the power and potential of AI.
ChatGPT-4 is one of the most advanced forms of AI, capable of producing and recreating conversations with humans and writing entire scripts for films and TV shows. However, with advancements in Artificial intelligence, comes worrying ethical and security implications, concerning the potential to deceive humans and spread misinformation. While it may have been entertaining for some to think that an AI-generated picture of the Pope in a puffer jacket was true, the issue of “photographic evidence” implicating people in crimes and controversies has been brought to attention.
But the question of AI music is different, in the sense that it doesn’t carry the same worries. After all, the AI-generated Drake and The Weeknd track was a generic track, similar to the majority of mainstream pop music today. It may have been scarily accurate, but it certainly didn’t match up to the magnitude and impact of major hits such as ‘Hold On, We’re Going Home, Nice For What or Search & Rescue’ or ‘Blinding Lights’.
It is true artistry that represents the “instinctive creativity” of the human mind, something that AI robots, no matter how advanced, can never replicate. Even if AI-generated music does become the norm in music production, it is highly unlikely that Beyonce and Harry Styles or any other artist for that matter, will be completely wiped out from the industry.
A great example of this is the rarely covered song ‘Torn’ that became a hit only after Natalie Imbruglia covered it. People like Adele and Max Martin will always be necessary in music production, since they are capable of producing songs that trigger a heightened emotional response from the listener – something that robots are nowhere near achieving. We are naturally drawn to the “charisma and humanity” of a star and that’s why events such as live concerts are highly sought-after today.
At the end of the day, it is highly doubtful that AI music will reign over humans any time soon, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy and appreciate its advancements in the meantime. It may well continue to produce generic pop music, but it can never replace the unique creativity and ingenuity of the human mind. And that’s why we’ll always look forward to listening to the latest releases from Jessie Ware and the evergreen classics from The Beatles.
