Interesting to see the hype and brickbats attached to the AI phenomenon. Going to improve the world, destroy the world, doesn’t work properly, lies, can’t do maths, untrustworthy, encourages cheats, dud program …

Nothing new about artificial intelligence, of course. Look at the Canberra dolts running the country. I could rest my case there but the new AI is everywhere else, too. Student assignments, graduate theses, jobseeker CVs, letters, marketing, articles, interviews, social media.

AI’s about as real as a Tinder profile but, hello, it is called artificial. And people’s BS-meters are learning to recognise it, too. Most of us will survive it is my guess. Suckers, maybe not, but there’s always going to be suckers.

What I do worry about is what happens to creatives like my musician mates, who face yet another assault on their craft, talent and livelihood from a boorish, low-brow competitor.

Previously, threats to live music came from pub pokies and TABs spawned by the rise of cafes, from discos and DJs, from in-house music not paying APRA royalties, from mind-numbing muzak.

The result – cover-song performers eking out a bob competing against bands so desperate to play they play for nothing – has done nothing for the craft, creativity or live product.

How often is a solo cover-artist in the corner talked over, ignored? Why anyone thinks this is better than a boombox set-list is anyone’s guess.

Now there’s AI looking to further fuddle things.

AI can produce a fully-fledged song when it’s fed a few clues for lines, a music style and that’s it. And it sounds clever enough to fool the masses. For now, anyway.

In Yankeeland, there’s a Michael Smith on fraud charges for allegedly making hundreds of  thousands of songs with AI then using bots to stream them billions of times. Picked up $10 million in royalties before the knock on the door.

As Max Smart might say: if only he could have used his genius for niceness instead of evil.

So what will AI do to music? Stop more live gigs? Discourage people from playing instruments? Cancel creativity? Make it an algorithm, a formula, a drone?

Will musicians become one more lost trade? Like wheelwrights, coopers, sawyers, dunnymen?

Right now, muso prospects are flat as a shit-carter’s hat. Festivals are rolling over, gigs won’t pay the bills, let alone the rent. Musos who are real creatives, the composers and songwriters, don’t call themselves hobos for nothing.

How we treat our musicians is a measure of our humanity and civilisation, really.

Given the enjoyment people obtain from live music, it’s peculiar entrepreneurs can’t get musicians in front of us more often. Not in huge stadiums and festivals but regular everyday venues.

It shouldn’t be so hard. Maybe AI could tell us how, if we could trust it. Might be one for Mr Smith when he gets out …

Oh, if you’re interested in what non-AI creatives are up to, check out local songwriter Van Walker’s latest effort, Healing Descent.

This article appeared in the Geelong Advertiser 17 September 2024.