Can AI Replace Humans in the Music Industry? Here's What an Award-Winning Composer Has to Say About It

Artificial intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm, including the music industry. AI-generated music, including the controversial "Heart on My Sleeve," which features the AI-generated voices of Drake and The Weeknd, stirred the industry, raising legal, ethical, and copyright concerns.

But can AI replace humans in the music industry? Here's what Joel Beckerman, an award-winning television and film composer and co-founder of Made Music Studio, has to say.

Can AI Replace Taylor Swift?

According to CNBC, Beckerman rejects the notion that AI will completely replace composers in the foreseeable future. He offers reasons grounded in the intricate nature of human connection and storytelling, asserting that these elements play an indispensable role in music appreciation.

As an example, CNBC cited Taylor Swift, Time's Person of the Year in 2023. Swift not only boasts an extensive catalog of songs but has also cultivated a devoted community of fans.

Beckerman underscores the depth of connection listeners forge with artists like Swift, who encapsulates universal themes of love, heartbreak, and growth in her music.

While AI tools may mimic Swift's vocal stylings and even generate lyrics similar to hers, they lack the profound wellspring of personal experiences that human musicians draw upon for inspiration.

The fundamental challenge lies in the intricate process of creativity, an aspect of human cognition that remains elusive for AI. Beckerman draws attention to the algorithms used by generative AI models to process copious amounts of training data for text, video, audio, or photo content creation.

Despite these advancements, duplicating the nuanced and organic development of human creativity remains an arduous task due to our limited understanding of the underlying processes.

AI Replicating Consciousness or Creativity

Theo Omtzigt, Chief Technology Officer at Lemurian Labs, emphasizes the absence of a mathematical or scientific framework to comprehend and replicate consciousness or creativity artificially.

This gap in understanding impedes the creation of an algorithm capable of authentically replicating the creative process inherent in human music composition.

While the prospect of AI completely displacing human musicians appears unlikely, Beckerman acknowledges the potential disruptive impact of AI on the music industry.

Rather than envisioning a scenario where AI churns out chart-topping hits or Mozart-level masterpieces, he suggests a more plausible outcome: AI-generating music deemed "good enough" for specific contexts.

Despite the convenience of AI-generated music for certain applications, Beckerman raises concerns about its potential to hinder aspiring musicians' entry into the industry.

The risk lies in companies' preference for AI tools over human creators for specific music needs. He highlights the importance of a market for musicians to evolve and improve over time, emphasizing that mastery in music is seldom achieved with the first creation.

In navigating the evolving landscape of the music industry, Beckerman underscores the enduring importance of musicians fostering solid connections with their fan base.

"There's a richness to human stories and the connections between audience and artists that cannot be duplicated by AI," Beckerman told CNBC.