In a recent interview with EMP, Epica frontwoman Simone Simons expressed her concerns about the use of artificial intelligence in music. In the interview, Simons said that she believes that "art needs to be created by actual flesh and blood" and that AI cannot "compete" with human creativity.
"We talk about it amongst each other in the backstage with our colleagues and other creative people. Some have bigger worries than others. I myself try to adapt as good as I can. I mean, you can't stop it anyway, and I think we should try to use it to our benefit, however we can. But I do notice a lot of my friends are occupied with this topic, but I try to not let myself get too crazy because of it. I think in the end, humans need humans and art needs to be created by actual flesh and blood."
Simons' comments are part of a growing debate about the role of AI in the music industry. Some people believe that AI has the potential to revolutionize music production, while others worry that it could lead to the end of human creativity.
"One of our crew members, he used the voice from Pink to sing 'Abyss Of Time', and he sent it to me, like, 'Look, Pink is singing your song.' And at first, I didn't recognize that it was even Epica. And then I was, like, ah, it's Pink's voice but still, you hear there's no soul in it; it still sounds artificial. The emotion, you can't fake that, I think. But you can write lyrics. So for the Dutch people celebrating the Sinterklaas holiday where you have to write like little rhymes for all your family and friends and you work a whole week every night, you can just ask AI to do it for you.
There are certainly some potential benefits to using AI in music, as it can be used to generate new melodies, harmonies, and lyrics, which can free up human musicians to focus on other aspects of the creative process. AI can also be used to analyze music and identify patterns, which can help musicians to improve their own work.
However, there are also some potential risks associated with using AI in this field. Some worry that AI could be used to create music that is too formulaic or unoriginal. Others believe that could lead to ultimately displace human musicians. While the impact of AI on music is still uncertain, one thing is clear: this is a technology that has the potential to change the way we create and consume it.
