🤖 AI Revisited (yes, already)

Hey fellow drummers!

This week, I’m going to revisit the topic of artificial intelligence - it’s not going away any time soon. After a recent announcement by YouTube Music, what questions do we need to be asking ourselves? Where are we heading?

I’ve also got some ideas for things to add to your “todo” list. 💡 

First off though, here’s my top 5 videos 📺️ 

I wrote an article a little while ago talking a bit about the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and it’s potential impact on drummers and the music industry.

YouTube Music recently announced that it was working together with the music industry and has published some principles around the use of AI.

They state that they wish to protect the artists and the integrity of their work whilst maintining the ability to get creative with AI.

The actions being taken include the development of an AI framework in partnership with music industry partners, the launch of the YouTube Music AI Incubator to inform their approach, and a commitment to responsibly embracing AI advancements.

My day job is in technology, and for the most part I find that new technological innovations and such nexus points can rarely be held back. It is often best to embrace change, explore it’s uses and try to adapt or shape the direction in meaningful ways.

It’s interesting to see the likes of YouTube Music making announcements like this. Their “incubator” could produce some fascinating uses of the technology, but is it exclusive? Can it only be shaped by those on the inside, and what does it mean for emerging artists?

There’s also more philosophical questions to answer, such as the meaning of music produced by generative AI, which I hope they will look at.

Does it still hold the emotion of the original artist? Is it true to the artist’s vision, and if not, does that detract or undermine the music itself? Does, or should, the listener care?

Since I live in a terraced street in the UK, my practice kit is an electronic kit that triggers samples using Superior Drummer 3. I’d much rather be on my acoustic kit - I think I’m striving for the acoustic “experience” by integrating Superior Drummer into the chain. I’m still trying to figure out what that tells me about my relationship with technology when it comes to playing drums, but it at least tells me that I can get “close to” but not the same experience when using electronics.

Don’t get me wrong, it is a fantastic experience, but there’s just something that’s not the same, whether it’s dynamic range, feel, haptics, or whatever.

Would a track played by me, triggering Superior Drummer 3 and with all my human elements, quirks and timing issues, be “better” than an AI doing the same thing? Could an AI learn my “style” and make me redundant?

What should professional musicians be doing in order to stay relevant and employable?

Historically, we can see that as new generation of artists emerge, the technology of the time is utilised and incorporated into the music making process. As AI becomes normalized, how will it be adopted by new artists?

There are so many difficult questions to be answered - and I’m not entirely sure they can be just yet. Though I do think that this type of announcement is the starting point in giving a “shape” to the future.

I think the dust is still settling, but it will be interesting to see what happens in the short term. How AI will be utilised both by the industry as well as emerging talent is going to be fascinating.

Back in the analog world, here’s an interesting short video highlighting how different 6 drum kits can sound!