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A sample of the song “Beautiful the World”, which won the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest on Artificial Intelligence for Australia.
Producer Justin Shave is part of the tech-focused music production house Uncanny Valley, which entered the AI Song competition in 2020 using eight people, from singers to musicians and music producers.
Justin talks about some of the processes they followed to create their award-winning piece, using new technology.
“(We) actually recorded a whole bunch of different sounds from the Opera House. (We) went into the engine room and recorded the sound of what… (Organ heard in the background) recorded the great organ. We made all these sounds work through AI generation processes to, in some cases, transform them into more musical sounds.
But it’s the dark side of AI that strikes the wrong chord with artists.
The Australasian Performing Rights Association has released a report which shows 82% of its members fear the use of AI in the industry will put them out of work.
APRA is made up of more than 4,000 artists, technicians and other music workers.
Dean Ormston is the CEO of APRA.
“All data ingested into AI platforms is the essential ingredient for training AI platforms and at this stage no one has asked for consent, there is absolutely no transparency around this data and certainly no one was paid.”
The report adds that more than 40% of musicians use AI in their work.
However, in the absence of a legal framework, what is currently a collaborative process could soon transform into an industry dominated by AI.
The famous singer-songwriter Jenny Morris is worried about the explosive trend of new technologies.
“We’re dealing with an industry that’s just spread like wildfire. In fact, there’s a Chinese company that only produces AI music. So that’s the tip of the iceberg in that regard, I think. We need the government to partner with us and understand the relevance of our intellectual property and understand the need to make these transactions transparent, because in reality, they are not transactions because no one is. paid for the data used.
APRA has already started discussions with the Federal Government to ensure this does not happen.
With the right legislation in place, Justin Shave hopes we can find the sweet spot where AI is just another cog in the music-making machine.
“I think that’s the way to move forward with AI, instead of, you know… What are some creative ways to work with AI. As a human, you want to be creative. Use the meta-creation tool like AI to create something bigger than you can imagine.
Currently, the European Union is the only legislator passing strict laws on AI.
In the United States, the impact of AI on the artistic industry is still being felt, with video game players striking against developers for the protection of their rights.
SAG-AFTRA, the union representing actors, is calling on video game companies to sign what’s known as the Interactive Media Agreement.
The agreement ensures that actors’ likenesses or voices will not be used or redistributed through the use of AI without their consent.
SAG-AFTRA member Sean Astin says video game industry workers deserve protection.
“We know we are a huge union. 160,000 members. But some people may not realize that means we work under many contracts. And every member in every contract deserves the same protections, especially when it comes to interactivity. that’s why we’re here again. We don’t want to be here, but we’ll stay here until they achieve what is sustainable, right, good and what employers know they should. TO DO.
Last year, the total global market for generative AI was valued at approximately $5.4 billion.
