As generative AI sends shockwaves throughout the music industry, BBDO New York Interactive Producer Marcelo Hanta-Davis reflects on some lessons learned from a recent project.
Last month, a long list of musicians, including Billie Eilish, Stevie Wonder and REM, signed a open letter calling for an end to the unethical use of AI in the music industry. The letter claimed that uncontrolled use of AI – using an artist’s songs without their consent to train a model, for example – can harm an artist’s image and livelihood.
As an Interactive Producer at BBDO with experience working on AI projects in the music industry, I consider this a watershed moment and a much-needed call to action. This letter marks the first time artists of this caliber have come together to speak out against the predatory use of AI within their industry. But because musicians aren’t unionized, it’s harder for them to collectively push for change. In my opinion, we need nationwide legislation in the United States to protect artists from the harmful effects of AI.
The detrimental effects that AI impersonations can have on music have become increasingly evident. On April 13, an early demo version of Drake’s diss track, “Push Ups”, aimed at Kendrick Lamar, was leaked to the public. Fans quickly speculated that the demo was an AI-generated song, a claim that was later refuted when Drake released a final version. On April 15, Kendrick Lamar appeared to abandon his own track of dissent, but it was later revealed to have been created by AI. This confusing back-and-forth led fans to take to social media and demand an end to AI impersonations without the artist’s consent. Clearly, unbridled AI in music is bad for everyone, whether you’re an artist, a fan, or a member of the music rights industry.
Drake’s latest use of AI to rap with the vocals of Tupac and Snoop Dogg highlights an even bigger moment for AI in hip-hop, marking the first time a prominent artist has used AI. AI to recreate the voices of real people in a song. Now, Tupac’s estate is suing Drake for his use. Is it okay to do AI imitations in music when they are comical? Would this count as parody and fair use in this situation? As such questions continue to arise, it is becoming increasingly clear that clear guidelines are needed.
We should not rely only on legislation. Marketers must set a standard for ethical use of AI in music. At BBDO last year, we saw the possibilities of what can happen when artists, brands and tech companies work together to adopt AI responsibly. Over the past decade, we have worked with Bacardi on a program called Music Liberates Music (MLM) which enables emerging artists to benefit from new technologies. During our work on this project, we noticed that these artists often do not have access to high-quality production. This led us to an idea: what if AI could help provide a solution?
We convinced Grammy-winning producer Boi-1da to train an AI model on his beats as part of our latest iteration of MLM. In collaboration with ethical AI companies Tuney and Audioshake, we created a tool that allows artists to upgrade their demos to a Boi-1da style song with the help of AI. Our interface would analyze the artist’s demo, insert Boi-1da instrumentals and produce a new song, all while keeping the artists’ vocals intact. All AI training was provided in a consensual manner.
We had three main takeaways from this project. First, the ethical use of AI-generated music is scalable. Second, we are in the Wild West for this technology; people who make deals today will set a precedent for the future. And finally, creating AI-generated music can be fun. When artists heard their voices on new instruments, it enhanced the creative process and got them excited about the possibilities.
As generative AI grows in popularity, many music industry leaders have focused on either leveraging the technology to quickly generate ideas or produce content at a lower cost. But if we zoom out, its real potential lies in accelerating the process from ideation to execution. Many people can come up with great ideas, but implementing those thoughts is often the hardest part. There are unlimited possibilities for transforming the ideas in our brain into something real. We just need to make sure we do it ethically, consensually and transparently.
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