Artificial Intelligence – a threat, an opportunity, or the end of the road?

Machines have replaced workers in agriculture, factories have replaced craftsmen and automation has replaced manual labour. Efficiency has had to increase in many activities, as the number of people in need of maintenance and welfare has increased.

Now a new chapter has been turned in that development. Algorithms have evolved to be able to generate scientific articles and to generate music, illustrations, stories. Man has created a new tool to make commercial processes more efficient and easier and to speed up the analysis of scientific research material, for example in vaccine research. In different contexts, this development will bring us all some relief, possibly some difficulties, but certainly some upheavals.

The latest development is called artificial intelligence. However, computer programs do not yet have their own independent intelligence, but have the ability to absorb a huge amount of input and quickly combine it in unexpected ways. AI does not just fall from the sky. Humans create the programs, human works are copied to assimilate the information and other data.

There are many types of artificial intelligence. AI used to assist or replace creative work has a different impact from tools used to assist, for example, office work or the pharmaceutical industry. It is therefore important to recognise the type of situation and use that is at stake. AI can be directed to produce a result “all by itself” or it can be used to perform a task. What is very crucial to the evaluation is the extent to which human creativity has been used in the commands that have guided the AI. It is yet to be determined how creativity and its amount will be demonstrated in order to cross the copyright threshold.

The music sector is at the heart of change. A melody, lyrics or performance can all be created partly or entirely with new tools. However, no tool is based not on its own creativity but on the ability to combine what it has been taught in the way it is asked. Creativity is needed for programming, for AI training material and for designing the tasks given to AI.

Artificial intelligence can be used to perform many creative steps. It is important that legislation ensures fair compensation for those whose creative work is used to teach AI programmes. Those who creatively use the tool must also be entitled to fair compensation. Creativity remains a uniquely valuable human quality that computer software can try to imitate.

Humanity itself is an immeasurable value. According to various surveys, the overwhelming majority of the public wants to see and hear music made and performed by human beings. In marketing, stories have identified humanity as the most interesting and attractive element for other people. The stories of the people behind the music have been identified as relevant to successful music.

It is right to believe that humanity will continue to have its place and value. Tools can only be tools, which you decide how they work and what they can be used for.

From people to people.