Musicians Invited to Embrace the Potential of AI
A highly anticipated event, called “AI, Music, and the Human Spirit,” was organised by the UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems (TAS) Hub, Responsible AI UK, and the King’s Institute for AI.
It featured two leading songwriters and record producers, Fernando Garibay and Daniel Bedingfield, who travelled from Los Angeles to share their groundbreaking insights.
Fernando Garibay, a visionary Director known for his work with Lady Gaga and U2 and Daniel Bedingfield an iconic singer and tech entrepreneur, joined academic musicians and creatives in the human/computer interaction field.
These headline speakers invited attendees to embrace both the inspiring and daunting aspects of AI in music.
Fernando Garibay said: “AI; across most creative frontiers, presents as many opportunities as there are challenges. I remain optimistic that the benefits of using AI in the creative disciplines will outweigh the pain points. I feel incredibly privileged to have had the opportunity to collaborate with such an esteemed cohort of UK academics working in this area.”
Daniel Bedingfield, a critically acclaimed multi-platinum Grammy-nominated artist, producer and director, is also the founder of tech start-up Hoooks and is pioneering AI-generated music, voice models, video content and animation with an international team of industry leaders.
“It’s the most disruptive moment in music history,” Bedingfield explained. “You can create good songs in 20 seconds, without the need to rely on anyone else as before.”
Additional renowned speakers included Professor Steve Benford from the University of Nottingham, Dr Shama Rahman, a neuroscientist and AI practitioner at the University of Edinburgh, Dr Oliver Gingrich, Programme Lead for the BA (Hons) at the University of Greenwich, and Chris Michaels, Director of Digital Communications and Technology. They discussed their pioneering work using AI responsibly to enhance creativity and improve people’s lives.
Co-Organiser and TAS Creative Programme participant, Dr Ali Hossaini argued that this should make people feel validated about their human spirit, as AI can only average what humans are capable of.
“The TAS Creative Programme addresses vital issues in AI through art and interdisciplinary collaboration. How exciting, then, to add leading creative professionals from abroad to the mix! It was a real pleasure to share the stage with Daniel Bedingfield and Fernando Garibay, along with TAS artists Steve Benford, Shama Rahman and Olive Gingrich. Live performances by Daniel and our colleagues energised our discussion on how AI can enhance music now and in the future.” Dr Ali Hossaini added.
Professor Sarvapali (Gopal) Ramchurn, Director of the UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Programme, from the University of Southampton, said: “The use of AI in Music is probably one of the best examples of how humans’ partnership with AI systems will shape up; the emotions they will trigger, the technical and legal challenges they will create and the sustainability of whole industries. This event generated some debates about the notion of creativity and what it means in the age of AI, but it also showcased significant opportunities for AI to improve inclusivity in the creative sector. It was exciting to see such discussions between leading researchers like Professor Steve Benford and world-famous artists like Daniel Bedingfield!”
The event, “AI, Music, and the Human Spirit”, was held at the Royal Society in Central London on 12 June 2024, during London Tech Week, providing UK academics, students and professionals in related sectors the opportunity to meet and hear from leading industry professionals from around the world. This is part of the UKRI TAS Programme’s pioneering interdisciplinary collaboration work.
You can find out more by watching the film below.