WOODBURY – Do you remember when you were a kid and you had big dreams of what you would be when you grew up? It would always be along the lines of becoming a teacher, singer, nurse, artist, doctor, or actor.
Most people chase their dreams and dedicate their lives to becoming what they wanted to be when they were a kid. The kids that have always wanted to be a musician now have their dreams crashing down due to AI music.
Over the past couple of years AI has quickly become more popular to use, whether it is using it to edit a photo, or help with an assignment, but it is slowly taking away jobs people have always aspired to have.
There are apps like Suno, Udio, Bandlab, and Soundraw that can make any song you can think of by just giving it a topic.
These apps are making music faster than humans ever could. Musicians need to learn how to play an instrument, and then practice the song and perfect it, then finally record the song before it could ever be listened to by the public. These apps can make lyrics and finish a song within minutes.
Real musicians take months to learn how to play an instrument, or it could take years to be able to play complex songs.
Many people have strong opinions about any music made by AI.
“I think that AI music sounds choppy,” said Indigo Kimball, a junior at NHS who has used AI to produce soundtracks for class projects. “It is taking away hard work from other creators and people are profiting off of it when they shouldn’t be.”
Some people will create music with AI and upload it to a streaming service which will then pay them for the song.
Platforms like Spotify and Apple Music have AI music on it and pay the “creator” based on how many streams it gets.
In fact, 28% of music on Spotify is AI and 1% of music on Apple Music is AI.
Nonnewaug High School music teacher Nicholas Ciasullo thinks AI on music platforms undermines the hard work behind actual music creators.
“Larger music streaming corporations are beginning to use AI to churn out their own ‘musicians’ creating ‘original music,’” said Ciasullo. “It is important to first identify that this is stealing jobs from real musicians and artists. This is hurting live artists and recording artists alike.”
While AI strips creativity from actual musicians to be mixed with music, it can also be helpful to people learning how to play an instrument.
Nonnewaug junior, Roger Nelson, plays the piano and says that it can be a tool to learn new songs.
“AI music kind of takes away from people learning actual talents, like how to play instruments,” said Roger Nelson. “But it also helps people who want to do music and it helps people learn and grow. They can use AI to help teach you.”
Nelson has the perspective that AI can be both detrimental or helpful depending on how it is used.
AI should only be used as a tool to help people instead of taking the personality and feeling out of music.
“Listening to music and enjoying music doesn’t come close to the feeling of making your own music or connecting with another human being through music.” Ciasullo says, “AI can try its best, but it can’t take away humanity.”
