Musician and AI investor Will.i.am sees the development of AI in the music industry as an opportunity for more creativity and expression. He believes that AI-generated music will allow artists to get back to the basics.
In an interview, will.i.am talks about the future of the music industry in the age of generative AI. The debate is topical, as two capable AI music generators, Suno and Udio, have just launched. Will.i.am is an investor in Udio.
Recently, around 200 prominent musicians wrote an open letter protesting against these generators, which they claim are an attack on human creativity. But will.i.am sees them more as a liberation. He is convinced that AI-generated music will fundamentally change the industry and lead to more authenticity and creativity.
Will.i.am argues that the music industry is already heavily influenced by algorithms that dictate how a song must be structured to be successful. Artists have to adapt their songs to the specifications of streaming services like Spotify to get a high number of views.
Artists are forced to adapt their songs to the specifications of streaming services like Spotify to get a high number of views. Social media platforms like TikTok limit creativity by forcing artists to make their songs work in 15 seconds to go viral. This trend predates the introduction of generative AI music services.
"Who is going to make better algorithmic music? People or AI?" asks will.i.am. The musician believes that the introduction of AI-generated music will lead to artists focusing on the essentials again: emotion, creativity and authenticity.
"I say thank AI Music for coming, because it's going to wake up a whole new generation of awesome music expressors," he says.
Label for human music
Will.i.am is convinced that in the future there will be a clear distinction between AI-generated and man-made music - similar to the distinction between organic and genetically modified food.
Consumers will specifically look for "man-made" music in the same way they ask for organic oranges today, he believes. He sees this as an opportunity for the industry to refocus on what music is all about: expressing passion, pain, joy, hopes and dreams - in a way that only humans can.
AI will be able to mimic that, but there will always be a demand for authentic music made by humans, according to will.i.am. "AI is not going to out-love us," he says.
