The Promise and Peril of AI in the Music Industry (with David Hughes)

This year has witnessed some extremely impressive breakthroughs in generative artificial intelligence models, with OpenAI releasing GPT-4, Google with its Bard LLM, and many more competitors. But what might be less well-known is that there’s a whole class of music-making AI software rising, and it’s creating everything from symphonies to viral rap collaborations between Drake and the Weeknd. Some impressive, and some outright bad, the music industry is preparing to have another “Napster moment.” What will this mean for ownership and intellectual property? How will recording artists maintain control over their distinct styles and brands? What are market solutions to this, and where should policy step in?

To cut through the noise, we have David Hughes on the podcast. Hughes wields extensive experience in the music industry, having worked for Sony and the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for many years, now running his own consulting firm.

In this episode, Shane investigates what AI will mean for the music we love. Don’t miss a beat—tune in now!