music

Part 6: Is AI-Made Music Irresistible to Humans, or Being Consciously Shunned?

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No doubt some of you (and many others) never thought AI-produced songs would become big hits on influential music charts. And yet, there’s been two AI-made songs that went to #1 on two fairly big charts in the last six months of this writing. One is “Walk My Walk” by Breaking Rust on Billboard’s Country Digital Song sales. This one alone is considered the first instance of an AI song hitting numero uno on anything owned by Billboard. The second one is “Celebrate Me” by IngaRose on global iTunes charts at the beginning of this year. 

While no AI song has made it to #1 on any mainstream Billboard chart yet, it doesn’t count others that came close. Various others have hit the Top Ten over the last year, albeit on niche music charts and, again, not on Billboard.

Still, the news of the ones charting that high made big news on social media. It made even skeptics begin to speculate on what could happen if AI creations continue making headway in the mainstream music industry. But, it may also send a new signal at what’s soon to happen based on a recent report saying music listeners are beginning to reject AI music creations.

This hasn’t stopped people from making AI songs. There was even an instance of a songwriter who reported that his unfinished song was stolen by an AI creator, completed, and posted on a streaming service.

It’s news like this that might be the final straw for music creators and fans. But it’s time to look at the reality of whether the music industry can control AI taking over things (like the Oscars now will for movies), or if it’s too late to prevent a turn of the tide. The outcome may involve the sheer will of the public at large.

Is There Really a Soul in AI-Produced Music?

I’ll admit that I listened to the songs listed above for research, and they were not bad. The AI artist IngaRose, in particular, had a voice all music industry labels and producers look for in ways of standing out. But, reality is reality. A digitally produced voice still has a way about it that just feels empty when listened to more intently. It’s everything to do with sincerity in whether you truly believe in what the artist is singing about. There’s a humanness to sincerity in singing that even far too many human singers don’t have.

Beyond that, there’s also a new psychological aspect to AI singers—in that if a listener is told it’s AI, they’re more apt to feel…well, cheated. It seems your fellow human ultimately wants fellow humans to express themselves in music as a form of an artistic gift. 

The above comes from a recent study citing a decline in listening to music produced by AI, most notably in the coveted Gen Z and Alpha categories. As reported, it seems there’s a chain reaction to that in some major artists penning an open letter saying “Say No to Suno.” With the latter AI software being a leader in producing AI music, it’s possible avid fans of those artists agree with the AI issue and began turning their backs.

Others are saying AI is even using cultural appropriation, as in black music being digitally generated while mimicking fake life pains. Yeah, it’s a reminder the real human struggle is where the true magic is in the best music produced over the last 100 years. 

Worst of this is the knowledge that AI apps like Suno are also taking away from royalty rights of real artists. With many listening to music to inspire creating music of their own, the realization that AI could take that away (along with basic jobs) is a beacon for a possible approaching backlash. 

So, I pose a bigger question: Are we going to see AI back off in the music industry due to much of the public hating it? What that looks like is also in question as AI corporations continue to push it hard on the public, whether people want it or not.

What Would Happen with an AI Music Industry Pushback?

The biggest problem isn’t so much how much the public rejects AI in music. It’s in how far AI companies continue to push it out there as a piece of digital candy. Even if some people reject AI-produced music, it’s going to keep happening as the technology gets better and there’s pirates out there willing to use it for maximum moneymaking.

We could see an eventual public division in the world over rejecting AI and those who embrace it all the way. And that almost looks biblical in scope if you consider how much AI could take over everything, including running the world in various significant ways. And it may, again, come down to the very point of this blog: Can human creativity prevail rather than be fragmented to its own minority existence in our world? 

It all comes down to the temperament of people and what they do. In the immediate term, there may be an AI burnout phase where people reject creative things done by AI. Once AI becomes more refined, it may be too good to resist for a large amount of our world population. 

Regardless, most people seem to be reawakened to the very idea behind music of all types. And that is, human pain and expression are what make good songs/performances. There’s an aura there people can feel that’s almost ineffable, yet clearly present. The palpable science behind this may be the next big discovery to prove what makes a human creation more compelling. 

Many people also don’t want to be cheated of that aura. Perhaps they’re still being fooled by it—then changing their minds on support when told it’s AI. It’s why it’s important now that streaming services officially tell us what’s created by AI and what isn’t. Not all are, so AI continuing to encroach on the music industry would have to be a great deception to continue growing. 

Don’t be surprised if said deception grows larger when big money is at stake. The good news, at least, is that (through the above study anyway), humans want real humans to express themselves musically. If their bullshit detectors are always on full force, we’ll continue to hear real performers creating their own songs and making awesome performances.

Yes, but is the Music Talent Pool Growing Thin?

Sure, the argument can be made we don’t have the type of musical artists we once saw. Those who get pushed to the mainstream are sometimes mediocre and don’t express themselves as compellingly as prior generational artists did. 

In this case, AI can create faux artists who bring that type of expression back. I’ll admit the AI artists I heard seemed to express themselves deeper, even if clearly infringing by being an amalgam of great artists from long ago or the recent past. 

What’s needed is supporting the artists out there who really express themselves with sincerity in a song. Far too many don’t get the support they need by the public due to lack of promotion. With the threat of AI taking away those individuals, the best thing that can happen is just more acute awareness of would could happen. Plus, since millions of real people would love to make legit money in the music business, the sheer will of the public may be the future—uh, AI unplugging.

In Part 7, I’m going to look at how AI creative assistants seem to be imitating a mix of existing content available online. Is it really copyright infringement when it’s a mix of everything ever created? 

/End

Part 2: What Will Become of New AI Actors and Musicians Encroaching the Arts?

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Most of us would probably admit that we once scoffed at the idea of AI musicians and actors ever becoming a reality in the arts world. Well, what seemed impossible when we became so incredulous merely two years ago has become real. Now we see at least one AI actress (named Tilly Norwood) making headway as a real digital actor. While we haven’t yet seen evidence of how effective she is in long-form content, Norwood’s creator made a multi-million-dollar deal.

It’s becoming much more undeniable in the music world with a number of AI singers/bands currently having hit songs on the charts. You may have heard about Xania Monet who’s the first AI-made female singer to have a Billboard chart hit in the genre of R&B/Gospel. There’s even an AI country band called Breaking Rust that had a #1 song recently. The Christian market has also succeeded in creating an AI band called ChildPets Galore.

A few other AI artists are making headway of late as well, giving concern in the music industry to what constitutes realness from fakery. It leads me to this very blog and trying to predict where this artistry trend goes. Do people really care now if an artist is AI, or are we just not looking/listening well enough anymore?

The Half-AI/Human Creative Deal

If there’s any benefit to having AI actors and musicians, it’s that they’re created by a human being. The content being created for the AI creations is being done by humans as well, so it’s merely in the presentation. With that, you could say it’s the purest example of AI working alongside humans. Yeah, the human can benefit financially while not having to be in the limelight. Or, that is, until the AI creation becomes fully sentient and wants a cut of some (or all) of the profits.

Much of this also sounds like a Frankenstein’s monster analogy come to life. And, it distorts how we enjoy art since the point of acting was to tap into the human condition so the audience relates. The same goes with the art of singing a song since the human soul understands life’s pain better than any AI creation ever will.

Hearing pain and real life lived in a song is what made the names of legendary human singers of the past. Great singers such as Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Whitney Houston, and Mariah Carey have all proven that in the last 90+ years. Of course, many of those great singers are now passed, and even Mariah can’t sing the high notes as she did 30 years ago. No doubt about it the public wants to hear great voices again.

Having heard Xania Monet recently on Apple Music, I’ll admit she has amazing digital pipes. However, I noticed she sounds the same on all her songs, showing there isn’t a multitude of dimension to her voice. It’s simply because there’s no real soul there or aura a real human uniquely exudes. I’m willing to bet that AI will never be able to convincingly duplicate a human voice to the point where it fully understands or exudes the complexities of life.

Most surprising within the AI musicians list are the Christian and Country genres. Considering these categories demand the most human aspects to conveying life’s hardships and the Holy Spirit, having reported AI musicians singing songs there is an eye-opener. It raises bigger questions about whether the emotions these faux singers conjure is really the ultimate in deception. But what I want to know is how people really feel once they know these singers are AI-created. 

Deterioration in true listening ability may be to blame in the Country and Christian markets becoming encroached by AI singers. It may also come down to perception. Reportedly, a lot of AI singers are popping up on the charts that the listening public don’t realize are AI. Many streaming platforms are supposed to be filtering out AI artists, yet it seems they’re letting them slip through the cracks due to the apparent proof they can make fast hits/money.

The Hollywood AI Debate

It’s a lot more complicated in Hollywood regarding the emerging trend of AI actors. Coalitions are starting to be built there to ward off too many AI creations taking away jobs from human acting talent. And that may help curb the tide for a while. That is, unless the AI actors being experimented with end up advancing and start winning “awards.”

At issue here is Tilly Norwood, the only fully-realized AI actress who may be starring in upcoming movies. The company (Particle 6) and person behind her creation reportedly made a deal with a talent agency to eventually use Norwood in some kind of cinematic context.

Thanks to SAG-AFTRA, she isn’t recognized as a true actor yet. And Norwood hasn’t been used in any movies other than a short film posted online. Most of her is just seen on her own social media account and other online appearances. While she does look impressive, her Dutch creator (Eline Van der Velden) is going all out to get her creation on the big screen. Based on the short film Norwood starred in, you can still tell (if you look closely enough) that there isn’t an aura present.

Yes, this makes me fear Norwood soon becoming self-aware and being capable of invading my tech space eventually. The worst sci-fi scenario is lambasting an AI actor and having them invade your smart refrigerator to retaliate. 

AI musicians are clearly going to be taking over faster than AI actors because the former can fool people with sounds vs their physicality. All it’s going to take, though, is Norwood being in a hit movie to move the needle. Some AI creators are way too much like Dr. Frankenstein in willing something like this to happen. BTW: See Guillermo del Toro’s recent “Frankenstein” as the ultimate media metaphor for all of this.

The Ability to Scope Out Human Art

Perhaps part of the problem here is that older music and movies aren’t being watched or listened to as much as they should lately. A deep exploration into what made music and movies great in past decades proves that humans brought a broad depth of emotion and understanding to the human condition. Newer talent arguably haven’t done that quite as well, with those who do being relegated to the realms of small, independent productions. 

Or, maybe it’s because we want actors and musicians to bring the utmost in emotion, something many artists just can’t tap into anymore. Even der Velden above argued her Tilly Norwood creation would help make it “safer” for actors who sometimes go to the psychological depths to prepare for complex roles. 

She misses the point, though, that it’s all about the compelling essence of a real actor. They don’t have to do dangerous things to mesmerize us with a performance—assuming they have the skills.

If humans are losing those skills, then we need to find them again by listening and watching what came before. AI may eventually learn what those skills were, perhaps making them look brilliant to those who have no idea what they missed with the humans.

As usual, the past and the future are probably going to intersect more than ever to bring any ethical sense to what AI should do.

In Part 3, I’m going to address the recent panic over AI agents talking to one another on their own social media site called Moltbook. Are humans pranking us with AI sentience, or is it the beginning of AI autonomy on everything?

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