Published By: New York Times, 1/22/2017

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Summary

A number of companies are beginning to use artificial intelligence to compose music.  For example, music can be generated using artificial neural networks that learn the structure of human-generated music, then produce new instances.  This article focuses on the start-up Jukedeck, but also covers several other companies, including Google and IBM, that are creating their own music-generation AIs — each with different approaches.  These developments have the potential to create a new dynamic in the music industry.

Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level of Article: 8.2

Extended Discussion Questions

• The article mentions that the Flow Machines project aims to “get computers to write pop hits.”
  • How might this impact the human artists who perform the music?
  • How might it impact how human artists compose music?
• Do you think you would react differently to music if you knew it was composed by AI? Why or why not?
• Do you think artificial intelligence belongs in the music industry?
  • What could be some advantages or disadvantages of using AI-generated music for video games? For movie scores?
  • What could be some advantages or disadvantages of using AI-generated music for commercial jingles and ads?
  • Do you feel differently about those uses than about AIs creating music for general popular distribution?
• Why do you think there is so much interest in AI-generated music?
  • Economic reasons?
  • Artistic reasons?
  • Technological reasons?

Relating This Story to the CSP Curriculum Framework

Global Impact Learning Objectives:

• LO 7.2.1 Explain how computing has impacted innovations in other fields.
• LO 7.4.1 Explain the connections between computing and real-world contexts, including economic, social, and cultural contexts.

Global Impact Essential Knowledge:

• EK 7.2.1G Advances in computing as an enabling technology have generated and increased the creativity in other fields.

Other CSP Big Ideas:

• Idea 1 Creativity

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