On AI Creativity (Music and Art)

As I move into more AI driven territory in work and life, I thought I'd put a few words down about it all. Get my thoughts out there on my current take on this new, AI driven world.

First, I have no opinions on anything to do with a "Bubble". I'm not into finance. I'm an artist, a writer and I work with Automations and AI for my job. But Bubbles aren't my area of expertise. If a bubble pops, I think AI will still be here.

AI In Art and Music: here's my take as an Artist, and a writer of lyrics and prose (and who is dabbling in AI asssisted music). To the arguement that AI just scraped a bunch of art and music and doesn't do anything creative. Well to that I say: 1. have you USED it? and 2. Hogwash.

AI learns and does exactly what any Human does in learning art. It mimics, it looks at influences, it trys to find a style. It just does it a million times faster than a human can and from so many more sources. What it spits out, can be imaginative and amazing, or absolute crap: that completely depends on the prompt it is fed, or as I would say of any tool, it completely depends on HOW THE TOOL IS USED. If someone says "give me a frog on a leaf", they will likely get a very generic 3D frog on a very generic leaf. If the prompter knows enough about art, angles, styles, mediums, artists, digital media - then they might give it a much more nuanced, lengthy and thorough prompt, producing a original high quality image. Now, is it THEIR work of art? No, not completely; it's their idea, sure, but the AI did all the work based on the research and styles it knows. Was it original and interesting? Heck, yeah, and if someone wants to make it, sell it, use it; I have no issues with that. If AI ever has sentient rights, that may be another story!

Personally, I claim my AI art as AI art, my hand made art as hand made art, and anything I've done with digital tools (my digital paintings), I claim that digital medium. Digital art is NOT AI art though - it's just another medium (and if you think otherwise I invite you to sit down with Corel Painter and a digital pen and paintbrush and see what you can do).

Is AI taking art jobs away? Traditional ones, maybe. Making us all learn and adapt to new tools and new ways of thinking, producing and creating? Yes, for sure, and that's never easy.

Now, Music, is the thing I've heard from a few folks about since I started creating it. I mean, how could I, Trish Noble, suddenly be creating tunes? And, how insulting am I being to "real" musicians?

Well, much like AI Art, I don't believe it's insulting at all. To me, AI Music tools are a very cool method for my Lyrics to come to life in a way I never thought could happen. Although I know how to maniuplate and even create some digital music (without AI), I have crippling anxiety to sing (or even hum) in public. I know what some music terms are and I have some exposure to the creation of it. AI helps me create a voice, use that voice with my lyrics, and allows me to play with music stylings and instruments in a unique way. So far, it's about 50/50 between my own input, and AI's creations (and I say as such in my Spotify Bio and to the Distribution Agents I use). Given that I probably would not have had the means or the connections to see my lyrics produced in this life without AI, I am grateful and thrilled to use the technology. And like AI Art, I don't think it's "stealing" from "real" artists. I think their is room for all kinds of artistic creations and collaborations in this world; AI included.

Why did I feel the need to punctuate all this? Well, as I said, I've seen folks actually get a bit angry with me for daring to create music. I've heard from folks they love the music (and thank you!!) also. But I confess I don't understand the anger or the discouraging tones I've heard - creation is creation, no matter how it is birthed. AI, I think it's here to stay, it can be helpful, it can be used maliciously (that's a whole other topic), there needs to be more education and discernment around it, but, it DOES create beautiful things, when fed and nurtured with beautiful prompts.

And when I listen to my own music, my own lyrics put to tunes, I am quite proud of it, and happy that I can do it. So, if you don't like it, I simply ask you keep it to yourself, don't look, don't listen, but don't claim your own self to be superior or creative, if you haven't got it in you to be curious or find the creative muse in this new tool, and maybe one day, a sentient being. (and, I do think that day will come).

Stay creative folks, keep exploring all that is new and strange, and keep making things, no matter how you choose to do it.