JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. (WJHL) – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee plans to announce new legislation that would protect songwriters, performers and music industry professionals against the misuse of artificial intelligence (AI). Local musicians Anthony Carty and Jakob Jovet told News Channel 11 that they are in favor of this proposed legislation
Anthony Carty is a musician and songwriter who studied guitar in college, plays in several bands and is a a solo artist himself. He said he hopes the proposed legislation will help protect the integrity of music.
“The main thing that I was taught learning music was that I’m saying something, you know, from my heart or my soul,” Carty said. “Whereas, you know, does AI have that? That’s a question that you see in a lot of sci-fi movies, but I don’t think so. And I think that’s what [the proposed legislation] it’s protecting, is the integrity of music.”
Carty said said AI doesn’t have to go through the years of training or understanding that music artists go through.
“I think it just takes away the work that musicians have put in to be able to write what they do, play the way they do, and say what they want with their instruments or their voice,” Carty said.
Jakob Jovet is a musician and singer-songwriter who is currently studying music at East Tennessee State University.
He said AI is dangerous for musicians who live off of their talents.
“It’s really dangerous, especially for people that live in Nashville, because most of the time, if they’re a studio musician, that’s what they thrive on that’s their money.”
Jovet said if people decide to go with cheaper options of using AI to create art such as music, it would destroy livelihoods.
“And it’ll start to sound all the same rather than having that human touch to it,” Jovet said.
However, Jovet said there are some benefits to using AI, like software that helps generate sounds.
“Programmed instruments on recording software, that’s kind of like people have taken those clips from the instruments, but it’s mainly AI that generates the most of the sound out of it,” Jovet said.
“It’s from research and everything, like sonic research from different amplifiers, different drums, guitars, everything. And it’s very helpful for people that like my age, who may not have a lot of money that are sitting in a dorm room trying to make music and make it sound like a full band when they’re all alone. So in that case, it helps. But in terms of songwriting and other things, I would never use it.”
Both Carty and Jovet believe AI lacks human authenticity and imperfection and that songs would start to sound too generic.
“There’s nothing like listening to the imperfection of a human being and their voice, and even like being off by a drum beat or a little bit flat on a note,” Jovet said. “That’s the human aspect of music, and that’s what we should be listening to. We should be listening for it more than just perfection.”
“I’m hoping that the public you know, people, listeners, just listeners, maybe not necessarily musicians, will recognize that it’s not the same,” Carty said. “That the computer’s not telling a story the way an artist would. They’re not creating something from their heart, the way an artist would.”
Carty and Jovet are glad Tennessee is taking the steps to ensure protection for music artists.
Governor Lee plans to make a full announcement on the legislation, joined by music artists in Nashville on Wednesday.
