The GeekWire Podcast has been featuring a segment called “My AI” that explores the latest AI tools that are changing the way people work. However, the segment was lacking a musical intro or jingle. The team decided to explore the possibility of using AI to create a theme song for the segment. They experimented with two AI-based text-to-music generators, Udio and Suno, and were impressed with the results. Both services generated catchy songs with nuanced lyrics based on a simple prompt provided by the team.
One of the songs created by Suno was an electronic pop tune that captured the essence of the “My AI” segment. The lyrics highlighted the role of technology in shaping the future and reaching new heights. In another experiment, the team requested a country music theme for “My AI,” which resulted in a song that sounded like it could have been performed by Merle Haggard. John particularly liked a tune created by Udio, reminiscent of German electronic band Kraftwerk.
While the AI-generated music was impressive, it raised complex questions about how the songs are produced and used. The team discussed the underlying issues with John and colleague Taylor Soper on the podcast. The services clarified that the songs could be used for commercial purposes as long as they did not contain copyrighted material. However, the services were facing litigation from the Recording Industry Association of America for copying and ingesting copyrighted sound recordings to train their AI models.
The RIAA’s complaints against Udio and Suno raised concerns about the potential impact of machine-generated music saturating the market and devaluing genuine human-created recordings. However, Suno defended its capabilities, stating that AI was developed through extensive analysis and study of musical genres and styles, which are not owned by anyone. The company argued that intellectual property laws are designed to prevent monopolization of artistic expressions like music genres and styles.
After considering the implications of using AI-generated music for the podcast segment, the GeekWire team is conflicted. Despite the impressive results, they are hesitant to use the songs due to the ongoing legal issues and ethical concerns raised by the RIAA’s complaints. The team has decided to hold off on incorporating the AI-generated music into the podcast for now, indicating that the project may not be over yet. However, the experience has sparked a thought-provoking discussion about the intersection of AI, music, and creativity.
