Here’s How To Avoid Getting Eaten Alive By AI.

AI rendered image.

There is no escaping AI. Not only are our news headlines being dominated by it, Artificial Intelligence is devouring prestigious universities, commercial art jobs and even music.

“It’s only a matter of time before AI-generated music starts to invade music platforms “ says Bloomberg reporter Lionel Laurent, “you can already listen to music aided by AI on Spotify — and the rise of auto-tuned vocals and drum loops in pop music have made humans easier for machines to imitate.”

Now that millions of us are getting the chance to kick the tires on how powerful and intuitive AI is getting with tools like Jasper, ChatGPT, Midjourney and Dall-E, it’s easy to see how it will increasingly dominate our lives. According to a Europol Report focusing on Deepfakes, “Experts estimate that as much as 90 percent of online content may be synthetically generated by 2026,” adding that synthetic media “refers to media generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence."

This is no joke fellow traveler, we are in the jaws of the beast.

So what does AI mean for artists? And how can we avoid getting eaten alive?

AI has been a large part of our lives for over 10 years already. Mainly in the form of Machine Learning, which is when a computer teaches itself by poring over data. This has been a major feature of web search functionality for over a decade.

The major development that is now moving AI from one dimensional computer tasks into the powerful, shit-your-pants, coming for your job technology is Deep Learning, which is where a computer is tasked to look through thousands of images of cars, for instance, to learn to identify what a car looks like (this was a big deal when Google figured out how to do this reliably in 2012) and then be asked to, say, design a car for a specific purpose.

Prompt: Design a car that works as a submarine, underwater, cinematic lighting, sunlight.

How AI Is Chewing Up The Music Industry

AI is already putting the music industry on a spitroast, getting ready to eat it at the Sunday Barbecue. It’s currently being used for:

1. Music composition: AI algorithms are generating new music and assisting composers in their creative process.
2. Music production: AI is being used to mix and master tracks, and to analyze and process audio recordings.
3. Music recommendation: AI-powered systems are delighting listeners by recommending music based on their personal preferences and listening history.
4. Music copyright protection: AI is being used by platforms like YouTube to detect and prevent music piracy by identifying copyright-infringing content.

In the future, AI will put everything we know about music into a sort of deep learning blender and spit out a homogenized puree of whatever you want. A personalised music experience? Customised playlist? A song written in the style of Bob Dylan?

It’s going to do just about everything we can do as humans, except for put on tight, tiger striped pants and do a backflip on stage. AI has the potential to revolutionize the way music is composed, produced, and distributed, leading to new business models and (if you are an optimist) opportunities in the industry.

So Really... What Can We Do To Stop It?

AI may be able to mimic certain elements of the creative process, there are a few things that a demon machine simply can’t replicate. Starting with the obvious ability to self-reflect.

Lean Into Empathy.

If you want to keep from being eaten alive, tune in to those around you. Human empathy, such as the ability to empathise with others who feel threatened by AI, is something machines will never be able to mimic. A machine may be able to generate music that sounds good, but it can’t create music that truly speaks to the human experience and captures the emotional depth and nuance that a person wearing those tight tiger print pants can create.

Take Billie Eilish, for example. She has captivated audiences with her hauntingly beautiful music and lyrics that plumb the depths of mental health, self-discovery and the complexities of human relationships. Her work is a testament to the power of human empathy in creating art that resonates with listeners and inspires them to connect with their own emotions.

Predictive Intelligence.

AI can only really work with the data it has been given. It’s not very good at predicting what might happen in the future, or sense where the tide of the human experience is going to take us. Artists have finely tuned antennae, and have developed a sixth sense about what emotions will resonate next week, and even next year. This is something that machines will continue to struggle with, as it takes predictive intelligence and an understanding of your place in the world to create work that pushes boundaries and re-defines the art-form itself.

Take Kendrick Lamar, for instance, who continues to push the boundaries of how to use hip-hop to address political and social issues. His work demonstrates how predictive intelligence can be used to create music that not only entertains, but also educates and inspires change.

Sensitivity.

Will AI be able to chomp up some Chumbawamba and spit out a banger? Perhaps.

But will it be able to reflect on the complexities of the human condition, exploring themes of love and loss, and spirituality like Bob Dylan? Highly unlikely. Dylan’s music speaks to the human experience in a way that resonates with listeners and inspires them to connect with their own emotions and experiences.

So, Are We All Doomed?

AI may be able to mimic certain aspects of the creative process, but human empathy, predictive intelligence and sensitivity are at the heart of great art. They are the ‘prompts’ that we use internally to create golden saplings of thought and insight.

And if you want to assuage your fears about whether AI will ever take it’s place as a true artist, just try giving it basic prompts, like… Design a car for me. Or write a song for my wife. Or write a poem about what it’s like to be AI… wait… maybe Chat GPT can already do that…

It’s a relief when you see the type of bland, emotionless art and lyrics that AI spits out. The AI assisted writing is no different.

I’m fairly confident that AI will not be spitting out a Top 10 Billboard hit or the next great American novel any time soon. But give it a few years, and… given the right prompt, who knows?

For now, my advice on how to avoid getting eaten by AI would be: focus on leaning into your humanity, put on a pair of tight tiger striped pants, and… start getting real good at prompts.