Our playlists become a playground for AI-generated music. And this makes us feel uneasy, especially as it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish real artificial melodies from musical deepfakes.
According to a new Survey of 9,000 people On the music service Deezer and the polling agency Ipsos, participants listened to three songs and then had to choose which were completely AI-generated and which were not. Almost all respondents (97%) did not notice the difference.
Of those who couldn’t recognize it, 71% said they were surprised by the results and more than half, or 52%, found it unpleasant not to recognize the AI’s music. Respondents were ambivalent about AI and music: About two-thirds showed interest in AI-generated music and were willing to listen to it at least once, but four in five (80%) agreed that AI-generated music should be clearly labeled for listeners.
Deezer, which commissioned the study, is right to point out people’s inability to distinguish between AI-generated songs and human-made ones. One was introduced in January. AI detection tools in music. In the survey’s press release, the company says it receives 50,000 AI-generated leads every day.
According to a song by an AI-based country band, worrying feelings about AI and music have reached a fever pitch in recent days. To break through the crowned rust Billboard Digital Country Music Charts. The music streaming giant launched last month Spotify has signed a contract with Sony, Universal and Warner to develop AI-based music products.
Mixed feelings about AI music
Some other results from the Deezer/Ipsos survey showed curiosity and caution in listeners’ attitudes towards AI music:
- 46% believe AI will help them discover the music they love.
- 51% believe AI will lead to generic, low-quality music on streaming platforms.
- 45% of them would filter AI music from their music services if they could.
- 70% believe that AI-powered music threatens the livelihood of real music artists.
The Deezer/Ipsos survey of 9,000 adults aged 18 to 65 was conducted in early October in eight countries: the US, Canada, Brazil, the UK, France, the Netherlands, Germany and Japan.
Changes in the music industry.
The debate about AI music goes beyond listeners and artists: companies that make musical instruments are also interested in the future of AI-generated songs.
“From our perspective, we see great potential in using AI as a tool to enhance human creativity if the tools are developed responsibly. However, we are opposed to consumer platforms that use purely AI-generated music and are in a position to compete with human creators,” said Paul McCabe, senior vice president of research and innovation at the music equipment maker. Roland.
McCabe said his company believes listeners should be notified when they hear AI-generated material in their music, and that his company and others are working on solutions “to confirm the music’s provenance (origin and ownership”). This could include the kind of AI-based music recognition tools that Deezer has already launched, as well as new technology that can recognize and tag AI-generated music.
Can AI-based music coexist with human-generated music? According to McCabe, if there is clear audience identification for AI-based music, if human artists choose to use AI to enhance their art, and if AI-generated musical elements are developed in a way that respects and protects human creativity (he cites the regulations in Artificial intelligence for music for example), and then: “Yes, peaceful coexistence is possible.”