Will artificial intelligence replace the musician or open his hand?

Isfahan- The spread of artificial intelligence in music has turned the border between facilitating the production of work and the future of musicians' professional activity into a serious question, a topic that was discussed at the Manvin Tax meeting in Isfahan.

Arjan Ambassador of the Provinces Group - Korosh Dibaj: Artificial intelligence has gradually gone beyond the stage of experimental production of sounds and has become a tool for composing, arranging, producing audio content, designing musical ideas and speeding up music production processes; A development that has redefined the border between technical ability, musical knowledge and the role of technology in creating an artwork.

The expansion of artificial intelligence tools has put new questions in front of composers, musicians, singers, artists active in the field of technology and music studio professionals; From the possibility of reducing the time and cost of production to the ratio between human skill and machine output, the future of musicians' professional activity and the place of creativity in the music production process. In the meantime, easy access to artificial intelligence-based music production tools has made the discussion about the quality of works, the role of specialized knowledge, and the need for artists to adapt to new technologies more serious.

In such a situation, examining the capabilities, limitations and consequences of artificial intelligence in music was the topic of the Manvin Talks meeting titled Artificial Intelligence in Music, which was held on the sidelines of the Manvin Creative Industries national event in Isfahan under the initiative of the Vice President for Science, Technology and Knowledge-Based Economy. In this meeting, Behnam Moradi, an artificial intelligence artist in the field of music, Kaveh Kateb, a musician and composer, as well as Ida Alfat, a musician and activist in the field of music, presented their views on the relationship between technology and skill, creativity, artistic originality and the future of professional activity in this field.

Artificial intelligence does not replace the artist; The quality of the output depends on the artistic knowledge

Behnam Moradi, an artificial intelligence artist in the field of music, referring to his experience in this field, said: I have been working with an artistic approach in the field of artificial intelligence for about four years. An artificial intelligence artist is an artist who uses this technology to create content.

Referring to the reaction of a part of artists to the expansion of artificial intelligence, Moradi added: still many artists have a negative position against this technology and believe that artificial intelligence does not have a soul or cannot take the place of human art. Some are also worried about losing their jobs and think that with the expansion of these tools, the possibility of continuing their professional activities will be limited.

Emphasizing that artificial intelligence should be used as a tool, he stated: This technology is not going to replace the artist, but it can help to do things more easily. In my opinion, an artist who uses artificial intelligence will be leading the way; Because it has a tool that facilitates the work process. However, in the end, it is the artistic vision of the artist that determines the quality of the result.

Referring to the experience of activists in other fields, this artist discussed the example of industrial photography and said: One of my friends, who has worked in the field of industrial photography for many years, thinks that artificial intelligence has destroyed his job; Because by entering an image, you can produce multiple images from different angles and with different lighting. In my opinion, the main issue here is how to deal with technology. A photographer with twenty years of experience, if he uses artificial intelligence, can have a different output than someone with no experience in this field.

Moradi continued: The person behind the artificial intelligence tool directs the result with his taste, experience and knowledge. A person without specialized ability may also produce output, but the quality and acceptability of that work is another matter. Musician, filmmaker, content producer or music arranger can use this tool to facilitate their work; But the final result still depends on the artistic view, taste and technical knowledge of the person.

Referring to the applications of artificial intelligence in the music arrangement process, he said: for example, a composer or arranger can check that the use of a violin or an electric instrument in a piece is more attractive or that the work is closer to the atmosphere of classical music. Previously, producing different replicas to achieve such a result might be time-consuming and expensive; But artificial intelligence makes it possible to test different ideas more quickly.

The artist added: By using this tool, you can check different options and after evaluating the result, decide on the arrangement or arrangement method. The important thing is that the produced output must pass through artistic, tasteful and technical filters in order to reach an acceptable work.

Referring to some examples of music production based on artificial intelligence in social networks, Moradi said: some of the works published in these spaces are not of good artistic quality; Because they were produced without musical knowledge. However, if this technology is applied alongside artistic know-how, the result can be different.

Referring to his experience of producing musical works with the help of artificial intelligence, he said: Among the new pieces that have been released in the last two weeks, there are examples that at least part of the process of adjusting them was done with artificial intelligence. In some cases, the time to complete a task that could have taken two to four weeks or more has been reduced to around 48 hours; Without the audience necessarily noticing the change in the production process.

Maintaining originality does not mean abandoning technology

Kaveh Kateb, a musician and composer, continued the meeting with the topic of originality in the art of music and said: Before we talk about the originality of an artwork produced by artificial intelligence, we must determine how we define originality. In my opinion, nothing can be considered authentic outside of history and human experience. The concept of authenticity is related to the past; It means something that has remained from the past and has reached the present.

Pointing to Isfahan's place in the discussion of cultural authenticity, Kateb added: "I am happy that this meeting will be held in Isfahan." I hope this city can maintain its authenticity, beauty and cultural characteristics. Isfahan is one of the cities whose historical identity is very important and the debate about authenticity in such a space can find different dimensions.

Referring to the necessity of accepting technological developments, this musician and composer stated: In today's world, it is not possible to expect an artist to stay away from changes by simply relying on the past. If we were to maintain authenticity in the sense of not using new technologies, we would have to continue living with old tools and ways. The world is changing and humans also play a role in shaping these changes; Therefore, whether we like it or not, we have to go along with the developments.

Referring to the experience of Iranian musicians in using electronic instruments, he said: When I entered the music conservatory, tuning instruments was one of the common problems of musicians. In order to perform a piece on the shore instrument and then to perform a piece on the mahur instrument, the santor player had to tune his instrument again; Something that was not possible quickly.

Katob continued: Today, some of my friends who are active in the field of row music in Iran, use electronic dulcimer. This instrument allows you to change the tune by pressing a button. For example, Poya Sarai, who is a university professor, uses an electronic dulcimer and can quickly master different tunes. This example shows how technology can reduce some of the technical difficulties of musical activity.

This composer said about the effect of artificial intelligence on creativity: it cannot necessarily be said that artificial intelligence helps creativity; But I believe that technology can facilitate some of the difficult and sometimes time-consuming skills. This also applies to other technologies. For example, in the past, paint preparation required more complex processes; But today, artists have different tools at their disposal. Methods have changed, but creativity is still possible.

He added: In my definition, an artist is a person who has worked hard to achieve a certain ability and has acquired the necessary skills to be able to create a work of art. For such an artist, tools play a facilitating role. If part of the artist's time and energy is not spent on technical and repetitive work, he will have more opportunities to be creative.

Pointing to the importance of the practice process in artistic activity, the writer stated: Our duty as artists is to practice. Sometimes this exercise is shared with others and takes the form of a concert or performance; Sometimes it is done just for ourselves. An important part of artistic activity is to enjoy the process of creation and practice. I prefer to use a tool in my privacy that makes it easier for me to approach creativity.

Referring to the experience of using digital technologies in the production of film music, this musician and composer said: When film music was being produced at zero degree, we brought the Tehran Symphony Orchestra to the studio for recording. After the introduction of VST technologies and digital instrument samples, some musicians raised concerns; Especially about certain instruments such as bassoon and contrabass, which have a specific place in the context of the orchestra.

He added: With the introduction of these technologies, there were concerns about replacing real instruments with digital ones. This experience shows that the introduction of new tools to music has always been accompanied by questions about the future of musicians' professional activity.

Referring to the way the society deals with emerging technologies, the author said: My experience shows that many phenomena that become serious later are the subject of jokes at first. After some time, the real dimensions and their applications are revealed. In my opinion, artificial intelligence is still in the early stages of this path and more things will happen in the future.

He continued: Today, some applications of artificial intelligence in music may have more aspects of entertainment or market content production; But this does not mean that its future capacities are limited. There are still many ways to develop this technology. If artists do not accept the changes, they may gradually distance themselves from the mainstream of changes and become isolated.

Emphasizing the need for artists to pay attention to science and technology, this composer said: We must respect human knowledge and scientific achievements. Artists have used different technologies throughout history and it is better to look at these developments with an open mind. This meeting can also be a prelude to more serious discussions about an issue that still has a lot of potential for investigation.

Artificial intelligence makes music production easier, but the place of musical knowledge remains

Ida Alfat, a musician and activist in the field of music, referring to the easy access to artificial intelligence-based music production tools, said: Today, anyone interested in music, singing or composing can produce audio content using one or more artificial intelligence tools, even free tools. In some cases, it is also possible to create visual content or music videos for these works.

Raising questions about the quality of the works produced with these tools, Alfat added: the issue is whether such works can maintain the necessary quality and satisfy the composers who have studied, trained or taught in this field for many years? Making it easier to create content does not necessarily mean guaranteeing its quality.

Referring to his experience in the field of music studios, he said: I am in charge of the management of Shahr Sade Parsian Studio; A multi-purpose complex that includes three studios and a sound engineering institute. In the years of working in this field, I have come across composers and musicians who go to the studio to produce their works.

Emphasizing the role of humans in the development of technology, this musician said: artificial intelligence, like many other technologies, is man-made and there is no reason to be afraid of it. The important thing is who uses it and with what knowledge. If a knowledgeable and expert person uses this tool, he can use its capabilities.

Alfat said about the impact of artificial intelligence on the composition process and the activity of studios: In my opinion, this technology will not replace the original composition processes quickly; Because the story of the singer and composer is different from the production of a simple content. Many artists produce their works with personal motivation and interest in creating music, and it is important for them to be in the studio, record the work and record the artistic performance.

He continued: In the future, artificial intelligence tools may be used more in studio equipment or technical processes of sound recording and processing. If technology can make a job faster, it makes sense to use it. Studio equipment can also be updated according to technological developments; But this issue does not mean removing the role of musician, composer or sound recordist.

In response to a question about the impact of artificial intelligence on the music economy and the professional activity of the activists in this field, this music activist said: In the field of sound recording and sound processing, I have not seen the impact of artificial intelligence enough to be able to judge about extensive changes in this field. Of course, one should pay attention to the differences between the production of electronic music using digital devices and equipment, the production of music with artificial intelligence, and the creation of works based on authentic Iranian music.

Referring to the complexities of sound perception, Elfat added: There is still no complete understanding of how sound is processed by the human ear. In the image field, cameras and imaging tools have provided the possibility of recording and simulating different aspects of the image; But in the field of sound, there are more complexities. From this point of view, in my opinion, the expansion of artificial intelligence applications in the field of sound may be accompanied by a different trend than that of the image.

In the end, emphasizing the necessity of learning new technologies, he said: artificial intelligence is made by human hands and you should not be afraid of it. It is important to learn how to use these tools and be familiar with new developments. I am also interested in learning more in this field; Because it is necessary for the future generation to know what is happening. Knowing technology and how to use it properly is more important than being afraid of it.

The views raised at the artificial intelligence in music meeting showed that the main issue in facing this technology is not only the possibility of producing works faster or replacing part of the technical processes; Rather, how to use new tools, the role of specialized knowledge, the quality of the output and the ratio of technology to the experience and creativity of the artist are also in the focus of discussion. In the meantime, Moradi emphasized the necessity of passing the output of artificial intelligence through the filter of artistic knowledge, Katib considered facilitating technical skills as an opportunity to focus more on creativity, and Elfat emphasized the importance of music quality, the role of experts, and the necessity of learning new technologies.