this post was submitted on 19 Nov 2023
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"AI can't do [thing]" *AI does thing* "Well AI can't do [other thing]" *AI does other thing* "Yeah, well AI doesn't have soul (or some other nebulous thing)"
We can't just dismiss rapidly improving AI and ignore the coming consequences. Things like "soul" or any other element that is considered human never mattered when it came to commercial music. A lot of radio hits are quickly-produced trash, with perhaps a catchy tune, and little in the way of meaningful lyrics. If it's considered "good enough" (i.e. it makes money) then that's all that is needed for a company. Don't fool yourself into thinking the artistry ever mattered in this context.
This is the reality a lot of people don't want to face, a huge amount of popular music is just established patterns put together in the way music school teaches is the right way then pushed with endless hype from the money hungry corporations.
We are absolutely going to see a kid in his bedroom use AI to make a concept album that resonates with people and garners popular acclaim - I don't know when it will happen but I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's this decade.
People used to say that same nonsence about samplers and drum machines, it's the same trend as when people said Shakespeare isn't poetry because he hadn't been trained in Latin and Greek enough or Cezanne wasn't a real artist, or a million other times people have confidently declared we're at the end of history and nothing new will ever be good.
What people need to remember is when they see Rick Astley singing his heart out it's lyrics written by Pete Waterman and music from session artists put together by university trained professionals to shift units - soulless music has been a thing for a long time and no one ever cared before.
Obsessive kids have been making great music in their bedroom for decades now, aphex twin gets industry acclaime for twiddling some knobs and so will whoever gets popular doing the equivalent interesting things with AI.