This month, music and film are at the forefront as each battles with the future uses for burgeoning tech. While AI-generated film visuals seem to be coming up short, progress toward realistic AI-generated music is starting to send shockwaves. On the consumer side, music streaming tools are being released to allow more listening experience customization. Across the industry, artists are celebrating ways that some these new tools can enhance their work, while speaking out against potential impacts on jobs, compensation, and creative freedom.
Artists push back on ai music tools
AI music generation tools are getting more powerful, and two companies take the lead in becoming “the ChatGPT of Music.” Startups Suno and Udio have both launched upgraded models this month, which translate text prompts to songs in a matter of moments. One of the most shocking developments is the enhancement of realistic human vocals. Sampling Suno, Rolling Stone tested the prompt “solo acoustic Mississippi Delta blues about a sad AI,” and the results went viral. Neither company has revealed the exact data sources used for training the models, and it’s suspected that some level of copyrighted music may have been involved, without permission from artists.
“Unchecked, AI will set in motion a race to the bottom that will degrade the value of our work and prevent us from being fairly compensated for it,” said an open letter issued by the Artist Rights Alliance, responding to the development of these types of AI music-making tools.
More than 200 artists signed the letter, including names like Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish, Noah Kahan, Kacey Musgraves, and the estate of Frank Sinatra, among others. The letter expressed a number of concerns about how these tools could impact the music industry: undermining human creativity, using copyrighted work to train models, and replacing creative workers.
New tools customize user experience on Music streaming platforms
In the TikTok era, altered music is catching traction - sometimes growing more popular than the artist’s original track. In 2023, many of the platform’s top songs were remixes. When a sped-up version of SZA’s “Kill Bill” got more than a million hits, she released an official version. This signaled a shift in listening, and increased pressure to ensure that artists, publishers, and labels are appropriately compensated for altered work. Spotify is developing a tool to allow listeners to manipulate playback features and save their favorites for future listening. However, this would not allow for sharing outside of the app. Basic features would be available to current subscribers, but more advanced tools may be added to a higher subscription package.
This month, both Spotify and Amazon Music announced plans to introduce AI-powered playlist features. Both center around input of a text-based prompt from the user, such as “Music to cook Gochujang noodles to,” Amazon suggests. The idea is that users can quickly find songs that connect with any theme , whether directly related to a musical preference or not. Amazon’s “Maestro” is rolling out to select users in the U.S., while Spotify’s “AI Playlist” is currently only available for premium users in Australia and the U.K.
“Nature” now an artist on spotify
There’s a new artist on Spotify that may sound familiar - and this time, not from TikTok. Ealier month, “Nature” was established as an artist on Spotify by Sounds Right, a music initiative designed “to see that nature is fairly compensated for her musical contributions,” said co-executive director Cathy Runciman.
This is not the lulling nature sounds you may turn on for background noise, but features hits like David Bowie’s “Get Real,” which samples sounds from hyenas and wild pigs, or Ellie Goulding’s “Brightest Blue” remixed with sounds of the Columbian rainforest. The goal of this project is to earn music royalties for music utilizing the sounds of nature to support conservation and restoration projects. The company anticipates collecting more than $40 million within the first four year.
“Nature” is one of Spotify’s newest artists, channeling streaming income to support conservation efforts.
Source: Screenshot by author.
Critics question AI Visuals in the Film Industry
As the quality and format of home viewing has changed, restored films are the streaming market. To make this process more efficient, AI tools allow studios to efficiently upscale a film for a high resolution viewing. However, critics have mixed reviews about the final result. While there is a finer level of detail and more vivid colors, some find the changes a bit off-putting. “It’s plasticine, smooth, embossed at the edges. Skin texture doesn’t look correct. It all looks a little unreal,” journalist Chris Person told the New York Times.
James Cameron’s “True Lies” enhanced with AI tools for streaming.
Source: New York Times / 20th Century Fox
Additionally, the first AI-generated romantic comedy is set to come out this summer. “Next Stop Paris,” follows two strangers after their “meet-cute” on a train to Paris. The film was created by TCL, a company known primarily for its TV sets, to release on their streaming platform TCLtv+. According to Chris Regina, the company’s Chief Content Officer, visuals were created using Runway ML and Midjourney, and the script, voiceover, and music were created by humans. While the trailer release has garnered a great deal of media attention, the focus has been more on its obvious shortcomings. While concern over the impact of AI on film artists is valid, this makes it evident that further development would be needed to adopt this technology in the mainstream.
In film marketing, A24 is facing backlash after using AI-generated images to promote the release of new film, Civil War. Ads depict war-torn cities across the United States, including a smoldering Sphere in Las Vegas and Chicago’s Marina Towers engulfed in flames. The problem? These images don’t actually represent scenes from the film, rather, they represent the dystopian scenario that could result from the film’s fictional war. Additionally, there are number of errors in the representation of these well-known landmarks, overlooked in the generation process. Fans criticize this choice, particularly as the films director, Alex Garland, earned his reputation from the 2014 film Ex Machina, which warned about the dangers of AI.
A24’s Civil War posters spark controversy over using AI content not seen in film.
Image Source: Civil War posters, A24
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