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Since the start of the fall semester, students in Syracuse University’s Bandier Program said they’ve had an increasing number of in-class conversations about the implications of artificial intelligence in the music industry.

Several Bandier faculty and students said they were hardly surprised by the shift. Over the summer, they watched closely as record companies across multiple countries filed lawsuits against AI music generators for copyright infringement, sparking ongoing controversy between major industry players.

“It’s talked about almost every single class, and it’s not even theoretical anymore,” Dallen DiCesaris, a junior Bandier student, said. “It’s happening. This is already in motion, and all of the conversations we’re having are about how to fix what’s already happening.”

In mid-July, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment and Warner Music Group, among others, banded together to file lawsuits against two AI music generation services, Suno and Udio-maker Uncharted Labs, for using copyrighted material to train their AI generators. The influx of these new AI tools — capable of generating beats, lyrics, full songs and replicating real artists’ voices — has raised ethical questions about their role in the music industry.

Lauren Plumb, a sophomore Bandier student, said it’s important for students to understand AI because of its potential to change the music production industry both positively and negatively.

“I know that to be able to stay in this industry, you need to be ready for the changes,” Plumb said. “I am kind of pessimistic in the sense that I’m looking for all the different ways that this could go wrong, but I am excited to see who the front runners are.”

Imraan Farukhi, an associate professor in SU’s television, radio and film department, said that while AI enhances efficiency in content creation, it also raises questions of intellectual property and liability.

Farukhi also teaches COM 506: Communications Law for Television, Radio, Film, an entertainment law course. He said some of the concerns surrounding AI in media are particularly prevalent for Bandier students, as some of the curriculum is based on intellectual property in the music industry.

Farukhi is also part of the AI startup Creative Intell, which assists musicians, producers, record labels, publishers and others in the business aspects of the industry, such as writing contracts and negotiating deals. The startup shows the positive effects AI technology can have on the music business industry, Farukhi said.

“With every new technology, you never really know where it’s gonna go … people will fear it and say, ‘Well, this is all a problem, right?’” Farukhi said. “Right now, we’re at that stage, but we’re also right around the corner of seeing how it can be implemented in a very constructive way.”

In class, Bandier students have used AI-powered music production platforms, like Boomy and SongStarter, to break down the roots of a song, experiment with sample beats, brainstorm ideas and gain unlimited access to AI-generated music libraries, DiCesaris said.

The current pace of the music industry fosters a “monstrous cycle” of repetitive music, DiCesaris said, but AI holds the potential to disrupt this cycle by expediting the process and alleviating some of the time constraints on musicians and producers.

“It’s going to allow for more music, more opportunities,” DiCesaris said. “Work is going to be cut in half, you can get things done faster and you can do things you actually want to do, because the tedious sh*t that you don’t want to do is just going to be left to AI, right?”

Ethan Girtz, a junior in the Bandier program, said he’s noticed new music pouring into the industry as a result of new AI technology. Entry-level songwriters, who may not have the same skills or platform as more experienced artists, now have access to tools to help bridge that gap, he said.

“It makes the creative process a whole lot easier, which is cool in some ways, and not cool in some other ways, because the creative process is a huge part of the music business,” Girtz said.

Girtz also said he still has remaining concerns about who gets credit for AI-produced work, as it can be hard to determine whether the AI generator or the songwriter should receive recognition for the piece. AI companies train their models by inputting vast amounts of data on the internet.

Shubha Ghosh, a professor at SU’s College of Law, said AI is also a frequent topic of conversation in law classes — not only at SU, but globally. Ghosh said these platforms are designed as a mechanism for artists, so the platforms have no right to the ownership of music created through their software.

“AI is just a tool, much like you’d use some sort of software to create music … whatever it might be, some sort of electronic synthesizer or traditional instrument. Whoever is using that tool to create the music owns the copyright,” Ghosh said.

The recent lawsuits mirror earlier ones from newspapers, including The New York Times and The Chicago Tribune, that also accused AI companies of copyright infringement. Other professionals in the creative business, including comedians, actors and novelists, have taken similar legal action against AI corporations.

Girtz said that currently, it’s easy to differentiate between songs made by AI versus authentic artists, and while that might change, a large part of what makes songs famous is fans’ personal connections with the artist.

For example, indie bands, who value themselves on their creativity and passion for raw, unfiltered music, may face backlash if they were to use AI-generated content, DiCesaris said.

Farukhi said the Bandier program is navigating new territory with AI technology. While the legal side of the issue will catch up and provide some clarity, he said, the ways the Bandier program teaches students about the implications of AI remains to be seen.

“The concerning part to me is how people are making money off of it, and how it is being exploited, and then also how credit is being given,” Plumb said. “I think AI has a lot of ways to go before people are actively listening to AI songs and enjoying them.”

Published on September 26, 2024 at 12:39 am

Contact Kate: kjacks19@syr.edu