2024-07-14 04:00:00
The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is underway. Businesses and workers will be shaken up because of the implementation of AI, which will drastically change the way we produce and work. All sectors will be affected and some jobs will be transformed more quickly than others. For better or for worse? The newspaper interviewed players from the music, cinema, comedy, advertising, publishing, television and several other sectors.
From songwriting platforms to software that can impersonate artists’ voices, artificial intelligence is already well established in the world of music creation. “We can’t go back. AI is in music,” says author and speaker Michel Rochon.
Just a few years ago, AI still occupied a marginal place in the music industry in the public eye. Already used in production processes, among other things for mastering, it was democratized when free composition websites emerged.
Indeed, Some software allows you to create songs or melodies in seconds. with simple instructions, such as “Create a rock song in the style of Bon Jovi” or “Create a jazz song regarding grief.”
Other tools allow you to put an artist’s voice on a song that they have never sung. In two shakes of a lamb’s tail, it is thus possible to generate a cover of a song by Cowboys Fringants by Michael Jackson, for example. The rapper Drake had also attracted the wrath of the public when he used this process with the voice of Tupac Shakur, and this, without the consent of the family of the late artist murdered in 1996.
With AI, the world of music is undergoing a profound change. “In 2022, the AI market in music was $229 million,” explains Michel Rochon. “In 2032, it will be $2.3 billion.”
A missing authenticity
Indeed, AI is unable to reproduce the most evocative aspect of art: emotion. At least… for now.
“The little reservations, the little inaccuracies, the little flaws, and the control that the artist does during a performance, the machine, it, cannot do it yet. But the [compagnies d’IA] say they will code algorithms for this.”
The issue then becomes much broader. Why does music touch us? Because it is imperfect, visceral and specific to the personality of its creator, believes ADISQ’s director of research and public affairs, Simon Claus.
“There are some extremely amazing things that have come out of AI that have even confused expert ears,” he notes. “On the other hand, there is no imprint of the personality of a songwriter. There is no attachment to the personality of a particular artist.”
Necessary stars
Beyond music, people need to connect with symbols, continues Michel Rochon, author of the essays The Brain and Music et Music that defies science.
“We need stars to unify, for social cohesion and to make money,” he says. “We need role models, musical heroes. I think the industry will be a winner if it continues to focus on human beings and produce stars.”
It is therefore counterproductive to “demonize AI” or to see it as an unstoppable and necessarily harmful threat, believes Simon Claus, but it is important to legislate the use of this tool to preserve the bond of trust with the public.
AI, whether we like it or not, will undoubtedly occupy an increasingly important place in the music industry in the coming years. It is even estimated that half of the music published in 2032 will be created with the help of this artificial right arm.
The copyright dead end
We cannot discuss music generated by artificial intelligence without addressing the greatest challenge it poses to decision-makers around the world: respect for copyright.
In order to develop tools that allow the creation of works from scratch, AI companies theoretically draw from banks of royalty-free songs and melodies. The reality is quite different: several of these models would have used pieces protected by copyright. This is the case of websites with which it is possible to usurp the voice of stars to make them sing as we wish.
“It’s a dead end, currently, to define copyright when we use AI,” explains Michel Rochon.
“In the US Office, they are saying that they are going to have to reduce intellectual property to one thing: the author’s mental conception. That is very difficult to legislate.”
Simon Claus and his team at ADISQ have often submitted recommendations to the federal government along these lines. He does not deny that this is a question of rare complexity that goes beyond the legislature of a single country.
“We are all in a moment of shock,” he admits. “It is certain that legislative time is always longer than the time for technological development.”
“It’s normal that the law takes time to be formulated, but it’s certain that we are a little late.”
“For us, there are some fairly concrete things that can be put in place, particularly on the transparency rules which are a little slow to come and on which we should be more proactive.”
What our stars think regarding AI in music
“We said to ourselves that it was touchy (delicate). It was still my voice that became Karl’s. It was beautiful at the same time. And Karl liked technology. But we decided not to go there [en l’utilisant pour l’album]that would be going too far.” – Jean-François Pauzé, from Cowboys Fringants, who tested AI to reproduce Karl Tremblay’s voice following his death.
David Bussières, from the duo Alfa Rococo, has already tested AI tools for musical composition out of curiosity.
Joel Lemay/Agence QMI
“It’s worrying. The result is far from perfect, but these are only the beginnings. In two or three years, it will have improved exponentially. Artificial intelligence ingests decades of know-how and musical heritage to generate [des chansons]so artists should be paid accordingly.” – David Bussières, guitarist of the duo Alfa Rococo, following testing the Suno.AI software.
Andréanne A. Malette believes that the use of AI distorts the process of musical creation.
Catherine Deslauriers
“The craftsman aspect, in my opinion, is already being undermined with midi instruments and sound banks. In fact, using these techniques becomes a completely different form of talent than being a musician per se.” – Andréanne A. Malette
Matt Holubowski is not fundamentally opposed to the use of AI in music.
Photo Agence QMI, Joël Lemay
“Good music always finds its way and the worst that will happen is that a new genre of music will find its place among the others. Who knows, maybe it will also create undeniable masterpieces? And if it moves us and inspires us, is that such a bad thing?” – Matt Holubowski
- With the collaboration of Cedric Bélanger, Raphaël Gendron-Martin and Alexandre Caputo
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