My essay is a direct response to Soohyun’s post on Discord about what he felt after MusicLM’s release. It is addressed to him, to all the researchers that feel puzzled the same way, and most importantly, to myself. (This is more than 500 words. You don’t need to read everything.)
Hi Soohyun,
Thank you so much for sharing these thoughts. I deeply relate to your sentiments, not only in light of the release of MusicLM but also in the general hype surrounding Generative AI. I think Music and AI has helped me explore and embrace these thoughts as well.
To provide context, I don’t work on these topics directly. Instead, I’m interested in building tools that assist filmmakers, and more generally creators, in conceiving and visualizing their stories. As I have been working in the Graphics/HCI lab here for a year and a half, I have been closely observing the emergence of new technologies and ideas in the field.
The Race
Many of my lab mates have notably been exploring trendy Generative AI techniques, such as Stable Diffusion or NERF (or both). To some extent, many research teams (both academic and industrial) are racing against each other to beat the SOTA or develop the “next big idea”. While this can be exciting and motivating for some, others have found it stressful and overwhelming as they try to keep up with their competitors. Some of my lab mates have been “pioneers”, being the first to publish an ArXiV paper on their findings or to release their code on GitHub. Others did not manage to do so before their competitors. I can’t imagine how it felt for them or how it felt for you. However, does this mean that their or your efforts do not matter?
FOMO(AI)
Research advances rapidly. It seems to move even faster from the hurricane center that our institution is. The pressure to produce groundbreaking results can be high, coming not only from the wider academic community but from ourselves too. As a result, we may find ourselves striving for greater productivity. Although my work is not directly related to these trendy projects, I have often wondered whether I should join the racing flow. The allure of impressive outcomes and abundant research opportunities has created a sense of urgency and FOMO(AI) that have been making me question whether my work matters.
At times, I have felt like my work is insignificant and have experienced some imposter syndrome. I have wondered whether I was putting in enough effort or whether it was all pointless with all the latest breakthroughs. However, this course has encouraged me to question the premises of my work. How do I want to contribute to the world as a researcher? What could bring me a sense of fulfillment as a researcher? What kind of researcher do I aspire to become?
Research vs. Art?
Music and AI has helped me draw parallels between my passions for research and art. In research, we must “contribute” by proposing innovative or original works. Similarly, in the world of art, creativity is often judged on these same criteria. However, it begs the question — do we only value the creation of new things? There remains inherent beauty and worth in performing Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata or repainting Van Gogh’s Starry Night. I believe that an artist reproducing an existing work leaves a unique interpretation and individuality in the making and creative process. Whether it’s academic or artistic, I hope that any of my works contains a part of my identity, reflecting some of my thoughts, my passions, or my values.
Besides, reflecting on this idea, I found myself imagining how Beethoven would have felt if someone else had composed and “released” his Symphony №1 before he had. Undoubtedly, he would have been devastated, having invested over five years of his life into creating it. Despite the success it brought him, the creative process he underwent while composing the symphony was most likely an invaluable learning experience for his future masterpieces. As the wise often say, the journey is just as vital as the destination, if not more. Or, as a parkour enthusiast might put it: “it’s not about where you are going but about going”.
For these two reasons, I don’t think your work doesn’t matter. I am certain it still uniquely reflects some of your experience and personality. I am also certain that it has significantly shaped you into the person you are today, as well as the person you will become tomorrow.
Creative researchers
As for what I want from research, I aspire to feel the same way when doing research as when making any form of art. I had never realized this was possible before taking this class. But every week, I have been amazed by the immense creativity exhibited by everyone. Despite starting from the same code, class content, and sources of inspiration provided by Ge, the outcomes have been consistently as diverse as personal. As I was working on the first two assignments, I was convinced that at least one other person would implement the same idea. Yet, to my surprise, this never occurred. Neither for me nor anyone else.
In response to your thoughts on academia versus industry, I still firmly believe, or at least hope, that academic researchers serve as “pioneers at the frontier of research”. Maybe one difference is that, through our relative freedom, we have the possibility to put values other than performance, productivity, or “SOTA” at the center of our work. Instead, to be a fulfilled researcher, I want to strive to be more introspective, expressive, and empowered through my work.
Thank you, Soohyun, for sharing your thoughts. Your words have undoubtedly resonated with many of us and have sparked deep reflection. Looking ahead, my hope is that we can all strive to feel like both researchers/scientists and artists/creators at the same time. Striving to be more human. Striving to be true to ourselves.
— Jean-Peïc Chou
