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walking my opinion back (a little) with AI
6 months ago
Three, two, one...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23s9g64yoxg
I've largely been accepting of the advent of AI and its applications in public and private sectors. Advocates claimed it would improve some software used in the medical field, making it easier for us to detect diseases that were previously harder to spot. Algorithms are more intuitive within public media, making it more efficient when it comes to anticipating what I need in my everyday life. I imagine it's useful in the military and surveillance. In my mind it's an inert tool that has no agenda, like a gun or a Bible.
But, like with other aforementioned tools, it's in the hands of some bad actors, and it's clear that many people are unhappy about this. It isn't just crotchety older folks, too. Young artists and musicians have voiced several criticisms, like the one above. As AI becomes more applicable and seamless, it's starting to replace humans, both in places of business and the arts. I have this friend who is in his late 20's, someone I occasionally play BG3 on PS5 with. We were talking about music and he told me he was a huge fan of an artist named Hatsune Miku. https://www.youtube.com/@HatsuneMiku
I asked him who that was and they said that she is an avatar that was developed by Crypton Future Media. She releases songs and music videos and performs live, just like any other artist, but all of it is AI generated. A performer wears a suit with trackers and their movements are projected onto a large screen, when "she" is performing live. I was frankly shocked, but later I felt like it was probably a bit naive of me to be surprised. I had already heard that AI has charted in music. I just wasn't imagining that it could serve as an entire person/celebrity, with its own album releases and live shows.
It all seems a bit depressing, at least when I think about up and coming artists and musicians, people that are just starting out and are looking to make their passions their career path. Fans of Hatsune Miku, like my friend, are well aware that she's a robot, and they take real human joy in her works all the same. Perhaps all of this really is a cultural sea change, where machines and people are starting to connect in a fundamental way. I'm sure I don't need to mention sex bots or apps that people talk to when they need a therapist.
Now, it seems a bit damning, at least with how some people are using it. It's possible that, unlike with guns and Bibles, this could change the way humans mentally develop. The Bible or some doctrine that a congregation obsesses over is the only other thing I imagine that truly penetrated the human psych. But where we had to manifest the voice of God, machines actually talk back. Where we projected our will to create, AI can mitigate the effort. Reverence can now be given to a synthetic idol, or something to that effect. It all sounds like histrionics, sure, but maybe myself and other people my age aren't as afraid of the implications because we didn't grow up with all of these new tools. Nevertheless, it's in some places replacing people and in others, it's starting to ruin their lives.
I think another reason I was so quick to accept all of this is I didn't want to sound like a grumpy old man that's out of touch. I was self-conscious of how I would look, but... if I'm being completely honest, I don't really go in for AI generated music. I like some of the art, also I imagine I've unknowingly read a lot of things that were AI generated and I found them agreeable, but the music... and while I'm leaning into shouting at clouds, there's always been other genres that I'm just flatly not a fan of, like most electronic music (unless it's uber goth/vintage). That's just what AI music is to me; a genre of music. I think of music in these very binary terms. It's either good or it's jazz. It's good or it's prog. It's good or it's AI. I'm all for improving medical technology, but I think I'm never going to like beep boop music.
I've largely been accepting of the advent of AI and its applications in public and private sectors. Advocates claimed it would improve some software used in the medical field, making it easier for us to detect diseases that were previously harder to spot. Algorithms are more intuitive within public media, making it more efficient when it comes to anticipating what I need in my everyday life. I imagine it's useful in the military and surveillance. In my mind it's an inert tool that has no agenda, like a gun or a Bible.
But, like with other aforementioned tools, it's in the hands of some bad actors, and it's clear that many people are unhappy about this. It isn't just crotchety older folks, too. Young artists and musicians have voiced several criticisms, like the one above. As AI becomes more applicable and seamless, it's starting to replace humans, both in places of business and the arts. I have this friend who is in his late 20's, someone I occasionally play BG3 on PS5 with. We were talking about music and he told me he was a huge fan of an artist named Hatsune Miku. https://www.youtube.com/@HatsuneMiku
I asked him who that was and they said that she is an avatar that was developed by Crypton Future Media. She releases songs and music videos and performs live, just like any other artist, but all of it is AI generated. A performer wears a suit with trackers and their movements are projected onto a large screen, when "she" is performing live. I was frankly shocked, but later I felt like it was probably a bit naive of me to be surprised. I had already heard that AI has charted in music. I just wasn't imagining that it could serve as an entire person/celebrity, with its own album releases and live shows.
It all seems a bit depressing, at least when I think about up and coming artists and musicians, people that are just starting out and are looking to make their passions their career path. Fans of Hatsune Miku, like my friend, are well aware that she's a robot, and they take real human joy in her works all the same. Perhaps all of this really is a cultural sea change, where machines and people are starting to connect in a fundamental way. I'm sure I don't need to mention sex bots or apps that people talk to when they need a therapist.
Now, it seems a bit damning, at least with how some people are using it. It's possible that, unlike with guns and Bibles, this could change the way humans mentally develop. The Bible or some doctrine that a congregation obsesses over is the only other thing I imagine that truly penetrated the human psych. But where we had to manifest the voice of God, machines actually talk back. Where we projected our will to create, AI can mitigate the effort. Reverence can now be given to a synthetic idol, or something to that effect. It all sounds like histrionics, sure, but maybe myself and other people my age aren't as afraid of the implications because we didn't grow up with all of these new tools. Nevertheless, it's in some places replacing people and in others, it's starting to ruin their lives.
I think another reason I was so quick to accept all of this is I didn't want to sound like a grumpy old man that's out of touch. I was self-conscious of how I would look, but... if I'm being completely honest, I don't really go in for AI generated music. I like some of the art, also I imagine I've unknowingly read a lot of things that were AI generated and I found them agreeable, but the music... and while I'm leaning into shouting at clouds, there's always been other genres that I'm just flatly not a fan of, like most electronic music (unless it's uber goth/vintage). That's just what AI music is to me; a genre of music. I think of music in these very binary terms. It's either good or it's jazz. It's good or it's prog. It's good or it's AI. I'm all for improving medical technology, but I think I'm never going to like beep boop music.
I guess in the end I should look into copyright laws and at least get a general idea of how they work, because clearly I don't know about any of that. I think essentially our grievances come down to human artists and content creators losing money and job opportunities, though. I just don't see the harm in someone enjoying AI for the sake of entertainment.
All that said, I think it's blase and as impressive to me as typing words on a screen and having the PC read them back to you. It's devoid of any kind of significant influence. Just the process itself, mind. Sometimes I've delighted in the end result, but personally I would never use it. Initially I tried it a few times, but the experience was so forgettable. Also yeah, if it's all someone consumes, I don't think they have good taste. Or any kind of taste, for that matter.
Now, putting it that way, I would take even more of an issue with its potential to take jobs away from creators: Artists contribute by generating tax revenues, while AI does not. And people need a purpose in life, not just money.
When I think of AI generated music, I think of it as stuff that hasn't had any human, at least traditionally human, input into its making. Music put out under Hatsune Miku is just (mostly) electronic pop music with real producers behind it, to clarify the distinction there. She as a character is more comparable to say, Gorillaz as a virtual band, except a company owns her that hires people to make music with her rather than just being a band that does it all.
I'd suggest say Unhappy Refrain by wowaka, popular album from 2011 that utilizes Miku's voice, amongst many popular music in the 'vocaloid' scene.
sorry, all this is really just to clarify she isn't part of the "AI music" stuff. I've always not liked the advent of AI things otherwise and find it gross in how its been used to replace people outright.
As for AI as a whole, it's a great tool for iteration but doesn't understand. It can mimic emotions, but does not feel. So much as you may try to fight with it to get decent results, most simply generate and send it to the printers. There's no quality control.