Live music is a last defense against AI slop

I've spent a fair amount of time wrestling with artificial intelligence and its impact on creative arts. Smarter people than me have decried its initial pollution on digital media and the concern that it could consume all creativity.

Others, with varying degrees of honesty, claim that our brains are the true creative force and AI will enable us to paint moving and still pictures and soaring soundscapes we previously could only imagine.

I am amendable to both arguments, to a degree. But the debate on how artists should use AI avoids a more pernicious reality - there is a whole host of "businessmen" who care not about creativity, but rather commerce. And they expect that AI will enable them to make millions through the creative arts, even though they never suffered through the pains of writer's block or

There are plenty of examples out there - the fake bands on Spotify, the entrepreneurs running LLMs to produce thousands of "books" a month, the tech influencers who are wowed by the 20-second videos created by AI tools.

Anyone claiming any of the work that AI is generating right now is "good" - is telling on themselves. It may get "good" but it's not now - and those who champion it do it for pure economic reasons. But, then again, even established artists are using it for their own secondary means. Bit concerning.

While there's stories to tell about how all sort of art rots from the inclusion of AI, this is a publication about music - and specifically live music. There are some unfortunate realities. For many, recorded music is an algorithmic playlist that drones on as you do chores or work on spreadsheets. Music videos, once a domain where iconic and game-changing directors cut their teeth, no longer have the same impact they did. So slop ensues.

But, I've yet to see a compelling case for how musicians or creative-curious entrepreneurs are going to replace the visceral thrill that is live music. While AI may thrive on order and a pursuit of perfection, live music will always be uncertain and chaotic. We revel in it even when our favorite artists take our favorite songs in a direction we don't love when performing live. We respect it and we understand it's only there that we can experience it.

There will be some good - maybe great - AI art, and a ton of slop. And it will overtake all, but live music will be the last stand. And, for that, we should be thankful.