Artificial Intelligence's rapid growth and advancement have provided humanity with many new opportunities. However, it seems to put the music industry at risk.
The music industry has served as a tool for humanity to express itself and connect people since the 19th century. However, with the developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI), human lyricists and vocalists are no longer the only ones capable of producing music. In fact, AI is changing the way music is created, shared, and consumed. Does this mean humans will no longer have a place in the industry it birthed?
To answer that, it’s important to know what AI is and how it is used in the music industry today.
AI is defined as computer systems that can create or carry out complex, typically human-based, tasks. This can range from writing jokes, to creating a weekly menu or even song lyrics. Using decision-making and human-like reasoning, AI can carry out a variety of tasks that only humans used to be capable of.
The capabilities of AI are primarily made possible through machine learning. These are the algorithms that help computer systems make decisions, identify patterns and continue to improve themselves. It is this very algorithm that allows AI to create new music. By analyzing music already created, these generators search for patterns within the thousands of songs publicly accessible. The patterns found are then used to create melodies, beats and lyrics that make up a complete song.
These AI generated songs have already begun to stir up trouble within the music industry. Some of the biggest issues surrounding AI music is ownership and image.
Many AI music generators include the ability to mimic other artists' voices, creating nearly identical matches. For instance, Canadian rapper Drake and American singer The Weeknd had a viral track named “Heart on My Sleeve” posted across social media platforms. However, the two artists never actually made this song together. It was completely AI-generated. This caused legal concerns over intellectual property rights and artists' ownership of their own voices. While it may seem like harmless fun, there is a serious risk of an artist's reputation and image being damaged by AI-generated music. If people can easily create their own music using AI of their favorite artists' voices, then why would they need these artists to keep releasing music? It’s this very question that fuels growing concern over AI in music.
Despite these risks, AI has been shown to do some good in the music industry. One of its biggest benefits is cost efficiency. Using AI, sound engineers can mix and master a song to streaming service quality in half the time and with half of the programs a traditional sound engineer would, significantly reducing cost. AI can also be used to connect fans of artists who have passed, allowing them to create songs that keep the artist's message alive and even grow their fan base.
Overall, AI can do both harm and good to the music industry. While it may seem scary for one algorithm to have so much power, AI still lacks the emotional and human touch that draws people to music in the first place. Instead of fearing its takeover of the industry, artists should focus on creating a harmonious relationship with AI, using it to enhance the quality and reach of their music.
It’s important that we find balance between protecting artist careers and making use of the tools AI provides as technology continues to advance.
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