Artificial intelligence is at the heart of a fundamental shift in music’s role in our lives, and for electronic music, the transition will be seismic. But will it result in a harmonious and utopian new landscape for creators and fans, or is intelligent automation the beginning of a new deepfake culture war? In part one of a three-part series running on DJ Mag digital this week, our online tech editor Declan McGlynn looks into how AI has become one of the most exciting developments in music since the advent of sampling
For most people, artificial intelligence brings to mind a futuristic, sci-fi scenario of autonomous robots or machines capable of making their own decisions, and more often than not, resulting in the demise of their human counterparts. For now, the applications of AI are less apocalyptic, like helping drones spot dog poo on footpaths, turning Robert DeNiro German and proving who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. WIRED’s excellent AI Database is a good place to look for hundreds of examples: some novelty, some sinister, all fascinating.