What does AI mean for music?

By Bridget Holt

Music Journalist

Swedish rapper-musician and visual artist, Bladee, alongside American musician, James Ferraro, have recently announced their partnership with Microsoft in creating “Sanctuary”: an AI-infused interactive poem game that prompts players to navigate a labyrinth and strike up conversations with philosophical chat-bots. The game is set to explore a symbiotic relationship between humans and technology, depicting a universe in which mankind is at the intellectual mercy of intelligent technology – a universe not far from our own.

The announcement provoked a multitude of reactions amongst his audience; invoking awe in some, fear in others, and leaving the rest in a state of gate-keep induced limbo– his collaboration with the tech tycoon being a big enough offense in and of itself. Once again, the conversation surrounding AI validity has been brought to the forefront of everybody’s minds, and, once again, it has drudged up the tired, regurgitated discourse that always seems to come along with it.

“Have some morals lmao. Pay a programmer, don’t be lazy and use A.I”
– Instagram user ttmb232351217

“A. I. sh*t, no matter its applications in art, is slop”
– Reddit user Saint_alexa

“You need to play Detroit Become Human!”
– my roommate

Amidst the controversy, it’s necessary to mention that Ferraro and Bladee aren’t the first to experiment with AI. In fact, numerous artists have been inspired by its mysticism since its conception; by its seemingly endless and incomprehensible potential. These are the wizards granting the Tin Man his heart–or more accurately, exploiting his lack thereof– exploring existentialist, dystopian, or otherwise exciting futuristic ideas in a manner that is more intimate than we’ve ever seen before.

While A.I artistry is yet to reach much of a fathomable level of mainstream success, I think it’s only a matter of time before it snowballs into a movement, with bigger artists– your favorite artists– catching on. At the risk of sounding like a robot myself, I believe that A.I.’s immersion into contemporary art is going to become a matter of kill or be killed far before anyone’s ready for it. And that’s not to say that human art is going to be replaced, or that it ever should be, but in lieu of the race to robot sentience and as the times feel more and more apocalyptic, I think it’s fair to say that artists who embrace A.I. are going to become a lot more relevant and interesting.

In taking a wild west approach to the matter, I think that, for better or for worse, it’s always been the artist’s job to venture into the creative unknown, to explore the unexplorable. Why should we draw the line at A.I? The newest models? The sharpest eyes?

Up and coming experimental rap artist, Edward Skeletrix, is a frontrunner in incorporating A.I. into his work, using the software to create album covers, music videos, and promotional content to accompany the ever-dystopian themes presented in his music. Tastefully lifeless, his music is offered another layer of depth through the unsettling, “uncanny valley” imagery, creating a world just as elusive, cold, and surreal as the music itself. His latest full-length release, Museum Music, which features similar A.I. rendered
Skeletrix-ian imagery, has garnered him a substantial influx of new fans and critical acclaim, solidifying both Edward and his off-putting A.I. aesthetic on the radar of promising artistic progression.

Predeceasing Skeletrix, Bjork, an established transgressive music artist, is recognized for her endorsement and utilization of A.I. as a creative instrument on a much larger scale, most notably with 2020’s Kórsafn: a project that generates music using changing weather patterns. In 2024, she created the AI sound installation, “Nature Manifesto”, for the Centre Pompidou in Paris in which she used AI to generate the calls of extinct animals.

björk : and aleph, – nature manifesto pt. 1 (2024) 🦚🌳🍄🕸🐝🦨🌏

A.I. has also provided opportunities for artists to expand their catalog and interact with fans in such a way that would otherwise be simply impossible. Pop artist Grimes has put her voice into an AI software that allows other musicians and fans to release music using her voice under the alias “Grimes AI”. Alongside strengthening an already dedicated fanbase, the A.I. project also allows smaller, aspiring artists another avenue to garner an audience, which is only becoming more valuable with the industry’s growing competitiveness. You might remember the Beatles’ 2023 song “Now and Then”, which allowed surviving members, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, to complete the unfinished song using the likeness of their former band members. Not only was it an interesting and exciting part of music history, but it also was a way to bring long-time fans together for one last hoorah.

As for music as a whole, this is only the beginning. Time and time again we’re reminded that A.I.’s still in its infant stages, that it’s only going to become more advanced, and while that idea is already daunting, conceptualizing it is a whole other battle. While AI is undoubtably flawed, I don’t think artists should cower from experimenting with new technology, and truthfully, I hope that we all live to see the day that we’re able to experience and work alongside the advanced creative workings of robot superintelligence. I suggest you should too – that is, if you want them to spare you…