Michael Elliott Music Melbourne, FL United States

These works are licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0

A.I. PSA

When a new technology emerges, a pattern tends to unfold:

1. Initial shock and awe.
2. Gradual assimilation.

In the 80s, drum machines were predicted to put all drummers out of work, but that didn’t happen. The same was true for MIDI, the Internet, music sharing (like Napster), virtual instruments, and effects. Now, we’re seeing it again with AI.

The "Shock and Awe" phase for each new technology typically lasts about 2.5 years as society adjusts. After that, things settle down.

Key Points:

• MIDI didn’t replace all musicians.
• 90’s sampled hip-hop sounds didn’t replace original artists; it actually boosted their popularity.
• The Internet didn’t eliminate everyone’s jobs.
• Post-Napster, people share music more than ever.
• Virtual instruments and effects (via VSTs) haven’t stopped musicians from buying guitars and keyboards.

AI won’t replace all singers and musicians either. Instead, it will introduce new opportunities and diversity. While some job loss is inevitable, it's important to keep perspective. If a drum machine takes your acoustic duo gig, maybe it's time to aim higher!

• AI singers have the potential to introduce listeners to new artists. Done right, this can encourage people to explore more of these artists' work, boosting their popularity and income.
• AI singers can breathe new life into the careers of forgotten artists. Again boosting their popularity and income.
• At some point, another artist will use an AI-generated version of a vocalist to create a song(s) that debatably will surpass the original artist's quality of work.

Music and technology are moving forward together, creating an exciting playground for artists with more creative possibilities than ever before.

Further Thoughts

At this point in recording technology, you can take an entire song in the same key as yours and create a single note or "drone" from it. In this way, you can make a sound that affects one at an archetypal level. In English, "Stairway To Heaven" or "Hey Jude" can be converted into a single long note. No one would consciously know the source.

AI when use optimally is wonderful cool tool. Jimi Hendrix showed us just what this new electric guitar thing could do. Some would argue that he was able to express emotion better through the new electric guitar thing than previous gens acoustic guitar. In either case, it had to come through him first before his chosen tool to express it.