Artificial Intelligence:
Expanding Musical Dimensions Below Alicia Hayden
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o some, the Symphonie Fantastique is a masterpiece composed by French musician Hector Berlioz in the 1800s. To others, such as those in the Sofia Symphonic Orchestra, the piece presents an opportunity to merge the classical with the modern and create a hybrid composition known as ‘Symphonic Fantasy in A Minor, Op. 24: I Am AI.’ This transformation was accomplished by merely one addition to the orchestral and production team - AIVA, a learning technology designed to assist with composing original and personalized music soundtracks. Remixing established musical pieces is one of the latest feats of artificial intelligence, which is gradually assuming the role of both partner and mentor to the human artist. Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly becoming a critical charac-
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ter in many disciplines. From contemplating the ethical boundaries of machine learning to implementing robotic surgery in medicine, the applications and implications of AI continue to proliferate. Most recently, much attention has been given to the role of AI in creative endeavours and specifically, its breakthroughs within the music industry.
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ast November, TORCH (The Oxford Research Centre for the Humanities) hosted a panel discussion on the revolutionising role of artificial intelligence in creative pursuits. This event explored the interweaving, perhaps symbiotic, relationship between technology and art. Panellist Emily Howard, Professor of Composition at the Royal Northern “Automated options have been College of Music, disdeveloped to offer professional cussed how her PRiSM team (Practice and mastering without the costs Research in Science and work of human engineers.” and Music) explored the ways AI can learn To obtain a deeper glimpse into text as part of a melody. They had technology’s transfiguring influence trained an AI with 19th-century on music, we should examine how English in particular. ‘We interactAI is affecting three critical areas of ed with this AI by prompting it so musicmaking: audio mastering, in- that it would generate further text, teractive composition technology, growing in sophistication over a peand music synthesis. riod of weeks,’ Howard described.
