Most artists fear AI will render their skills obsolete, devalue their work, and steal their creations to use them as training data. Chad Gerber, a musician with platinum and gold records in multiple genres, has a different mindset when it comes to technology and music. Gerber is also the Founder of Meloscene, a mixed-reality studio platform that enables artists to collaborate from anywhere in the world.
He joined the podcast last year, at VOICE & AI 2023, and is the first repeat guest on the show. On this episode of The Disruption Is Now, Gerber is in-studio with host Greg Matusky to discuss his background in music, what interested him about technology, and how he melded the two into a new career that doesn’t require him to travel the globe to play gigs.
Gerber shares his radical vision for using AI to recreate the magical experience of live music across vast distances. His insights challenge conventional beliefs about AI’s threat to creatives and reveal what the next generation of creativity looks like.
Listen in to learn more about how AI can have a positive impact on the music industry and why the transformative technology doesn’t spell the end of originality.
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Key takeaways
AI can enhance and augment the creative process
Gerber discusses how his virtual music collaboration platform aims to recreate the magic of in-person jam sessions by tricking the brain into thinking remote musicians are actually together in one space. The low latency enabled by AI allows this real-time, serendipitous co-creation that draws out inspired performances.
A new wave of creative innovations
The conversation draws parallels between the current AI disruption and past technological revolutions like the combustion engine leading to aviation. Gerber suggests AI’s democratization of creative tools could spark a cyclical period of strange new inventions emerging, similar to periods following major technological shifts throughout history.
‘Don’t be scared of it or mad at it. Beat it.’
Gerber argues that if great artists and creators don’t embrace and help shape AI, they risk leaving it in the hands of non-creatives who could define its path in a less compelling way. His view is those true creative talents need to “get their hands dirty” with this technology rather than rejecting it outright due to fears around copyright issues or AI replacing human creativity.
Key moments:
● Chad shares his background in music (3:05)
● AI’s role in music (7:15)
● How technology became part of Chad’s music (9:04)
● The pandemic’s effect on music and the opportunity Chad saw (11:50)
● Chad explains the idea behind Meloscene and how artists use it to collaborate (14:13)
● Meloscene’s AI system and why it works (18:53)
● Why hallucinations in AI aren’t always bad (21:40)
● How AI can retain information (23:10)
● Discussing a role for AI art (25:35)
● A new age for human creativity (28:37)
● The value of experimentation (33:28)
● Chad’s music recommendations (35:25)
