A hypothetical nightmare scenario for artificial intelligence and music: The Tay-Tay “Swiftpcalypse”

Every advance in technology–fire, the wheel, the printing press, electricity, the internet, etc.–comes with good and bad repercussions. Artificial intelligence will be no different. At the moment, I’m choosing to be optimistic about what AI could bring, but at the same time, I keep looking over my shoulder for an army of terminators.

If you’re worried about the effect of AI on music, here’s something that will keep you up at night. What if an AI began not just sentient but also convinced that Taylor Swift is the only artist humans need? This was published in Cryptopolitan (via Grant).

“In a groundbreaking study, researchers from Durham University, UK, and the University of the Arts London warned about the hypothetical threat of AI-generated music, spearheaded by an imaginary rogue artificial intelligence obsessed with Taylor Swift.

“The researchers propose a thought experiment wherein all recorded music is replaced by AI-generated ‘Taylor’s Versions,’ erasing the legacy of iconic musicians like Beethoven and The Beatles from history.

“Nick Collins and Mick Grierson, the researchers behind this thought experiment, outline a future where centralized data stores like Spotify and Apple Music could be infiltrated by AI, leading to the corruption, deletion, or alteration of vast amounts of data. They argue that while the risk of an AI-driven ‘Swiftpocalypse’”’ is currently low, it prompts urgent consideration for safeguarding various forms of data against potential AI corruption.”

Read the entire article here.