"Open the pod bay doors."

 

Perhaps the most chilling moment in "2001: A Space Odyssey" was when Hal, the AI brain of the ship, fears a threat and takes control.

There has been quite a lot of talk about artificial intelligence and creativity lately, particularly in songwriting. AI systems prompted to write lyrics have produced recognizable works prompting some to express fear that computers will replace human songwriters.

    As someone who embraced technology decades ago I have the view that it's more like the online rhyming dictionary that replaced the dog eared paperback copy I used for years, that is, a tool to help with the creative process. What a dictionary can't do, won't ever do, is provide inspiration. To go a step further, a computer program that can make creative leaps, counter intuitive connections, and unique metaphors, all aspects of higher order creativity, doesn't as yet exist. The songs I've seen so far generated are utterly generic and uninspired, at best imitations of actual human works.

    There's a saying I learned from my time in Nashville; "Throw away the first hundred songs you write." The point of this is that all songwriters essentially write the same songs when they are beginners. For instance, every songwriter has a song about their love of their child. Every single one, including me. Songs about one's mother are also universal. They are not bad songs, but the subjects have been explored fully and with few exceptions will be rejected by the industry. What one discovers is that the key to creative and possibly commercial success is to find a unique way to express a common emotion, and to do that you have to find your own voice. This is something beyond the reach of a computer program. The songs I've heard from AI fall solidly into that "first 100" category. 

    Beyond that there is a vast unexplored territory that offers the potential to surprise and delight a writer with the discovery of something, a turn of phrase or an insight, they didn't know they possessed. It's not easy to find, but if you have been at it long enough and diligent they do appear. These are emotions that everyone experiences but can't express, and if one can share this it's very rewarding. 

    A lot of popular music is formulaic, which can be codified and programmed, and I think that's what we are seeing with AI generated songs at this point. Where it's going is hard to say. But it seems to me that the complexity of true creativity, that utterly unique and personal expression, is still beyond its capability.

Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA

Singer/Songwriter Rick Millward lived and worked on the West Coast until moving to Nashville in 2000. He was part of the Music City songwriter community, collaborating with other artists and producing projects in his boutique studio, including two EMMY nominated soundtracks. Now in Southern Oregon, Rick has discovered a vibrant local music scene centered around the many tasting rooms. 

His records: "Limited Edition", "Home for Good", and “Loveland” are available on Spotify and other streaming platforms. His new recordings, "Astronomy", will be released later this year.

LOVELAND ON SPOTIFY