Following the boom in AI writing and AI-generated images, Google is now in talks with Universal Music to popularize AI-generated harmonies and promote artificial technologies in the industry. While one might argue that music is an innately human talent that requires extensive degrees of creativity as well as intuitive thought, Google’s subsidiary—YouTube—launched the “YouTube AI Music Incubator” alongside a broad set of AI applications for creators. This is in a bid to promote the use of generative AI and other AI tools in music responsibly, as the technology permeates different fields of human expression. To further drive engagement and pertinent development, both YouTube and Universal Music have been in negotiations with prominent artists, songwriters, and other musicians to help them contribute to the development of an AI music tool. Apart from informing the overall AI approach of Google, the artists will also receive monetary gains from the tech giant’s success.
While AI-generated music might sound a tad too futuristic and even too dehumanizing at first, it must be understood that the AI boom has precipitated vast waves of experimentation and tinkering, which has led to several innovations in the AI niche. In addition, YouTube also launched a set of AI Music Principles to empower artists and provide modern technologies with a trajectory that is more in line with responsible AI tenets. Presently, YouTube and Universal Music are still in negotiations with numerous artists to license both their voices and original melodies to provide a base for future AI music initiatives.
The Implications of AI-Generated Music
AI music can lead to a few ethical and moral conundrums.
While new and interesting, AI-generated music has the potential to lead to copyright issues and ownership disputes, as has been the case with AI images and generative AI art. Though the issue has been complicated to broach, Universal Music has been working on figuring out these details to make it easier for AI music and other creative products to be licensed. Concerns surrounding copyright infringement and counterfeiting are legitimate since AI-generated deep fakes tend to hamper original content. This was especially highlighted when an AI-generated song featuring the voices of two prominent artists went viral earlier this year and prompted numerous streaming platforms to pull the audio down due to infringement policies. An agreement would allow artists associated with Universal Music to benefit from any AI-generated content created through their contributions, though the exact details are not yet known in their entirety.
The music industry is fairly divided on the matter, with numerous artists both speaking for as well as against the inclusion of AI music in the mainstream. This still leaves out ethical issues and concerns surrounding fair usage, as witnessed in the case of falling academic integrity in the immediate aftermath of ChatGPT’s release. Meanwhile, other firms like Meta are also working on an extensive set of chatbots that resemble celebrities and mimic their likenesses and have successfully put together legal frameworks to market these products and keep misuse in check. Universal Music Group and Google could tread down a similar path legally and ensure licensing contracts work out favorably to both the musicians and the record labels to ensure fair use and prevention of intellectual property theft.
Understanding Google AI and Universal Music’s Plans: What Will AI-Generated Music Achieve?
Google and Universal Music’s endeavor might set the standard for future AI-generated soundtracks.
Since deep fake technology has already impacted numerous industries, record labels like Universal Music and Google’s AI division might be intending to provide users with a legitimate way to use their favorite artiste’s voices, while also allowing the musicians to benefit from these productions. While this might seem like the normalization of AI-generated content in innately human niches, Google AI has been intent on experimenting with their learnings from language models and intends on tinkering with AI applications on a functional level. Since copies and AI-generated music already exist, the primary goal of music labels like Universal Music Group will remain focused on making these productions profitable for everyone involved. Regardless, licensing musicians’ voices and drawing the line between inspiration and infringement will remain inherently complex and pose a challenge to Google as well as Universal Music.
The current experimentation with generative AI’s extensive applicative potential might also be used to compete with rival firms such as OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic, who are also experimenting extensively with their respective language models and chatbots. Though Google’s current announcements might not be well received by everyone, AI will only continue to extend its influence across numerous platforms and domains. This might eventually lead to necessary regulations and labels that indicate the presence of AI-generated content. Apart from transparency, safety will also play a role in the marketing and production of AI music, since misuse by malicious actors is still a credible threat that needs to be addressed by generative AI firms.
The Potential for AI Music
Generative AI can blur the line between creativity and infringement in music and other related fields.
Current developments present considerable potential for AI-generated content and media. With large tech firms getting into negotiations with artists and record labels, the mainstreaming of AI music seems to be right around the corner. While this does lead to several ethical concerns and worries regarding originality and identity misuse, navigating the legalities tactfully and presenting acceptable regulatory and monetary frameworks might end up making AI-generated music less controversial. The journeys of language model chatbots have led to the mushrooming of numerous other applications that are bound to shape humanity and AI’s relationship. Time will tell as to how much influence from these technologies will be considered acceptable by larger society.
FAQs
1. What is Google AI and Universal Music’s AI deal?
Google and Universal Music Group have been in negotiations to license and market musicians’ voices and harmonies to create functional monetary frameworks to create viable AI-generated music.
2. Can AI create new music?
Yes, AI can learn from existing melodies and voices to put together unique notes and harmonies. Several AI tools are already helping a few musicians create unique soundtracks.
3. Is AI music a threat to artists?
While certainly concerning, AI music in itself might not be a direct risk to human musicians. However, misuse of original voices and harmonies and the use of existing soundtracks to train AI without requisite permissions are certain risks involved in AI-generated music.