Ted Gioia Warns Of Music Created By Artificial Intelligence

Ted Gioia, a Music Producer and Historian, was recently interviewed by Rick Beato. Gioia carries a strong reputation through his decades of writing. Most notably, he authored A Subversive History (2019), West Coast Jazz (1992), and The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire (2012).

The lengthy discussion highlights the potential negative impact of artificial intelligence on the music industry. While AI can be used as a tremendous tool for the modern musician, its ramifications in the big picture might not be as positive as it may seem. For example, he explains that your new favorite artist might not be real. 

Gioia specifically cites the work of Johan Röhr – a Swedish musician leveraging AI to build his musical imprint. Johan Röhr has created over 2,700 songs and achieved 15 Billion streams on Spotify (and can be found in 144 official Spotify playlists). It is important to note that this are more streams than Michael Jackson or Elton John have ever reached. This plethora of music is spread out across 656 fictional artist profiles. 

Ted Gioia warns of the damage this could do to the music industry, specifically less well-known musicians and songwriters. He warns that this is may be splintering off attention and potential revenue from traditional artists. The interview offers an interesting question to the viewer; what does the future hold for the independent musicians working to build a career in an industry that soon could be dominated by artificial intelligence? 

As AI becomes more accepted in the industry, such as The Grammy’s allowing music created with Artificial intelligence to be submitted for nomination, the idea of AI completely replacing musicians is a sobering thought. The thought-provoking interview will certainly spark conversation amongst musicians, industry personnel, and fans alike.

To listen to the full interview, click the video below.