In 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Yuval Noah Harari posits a compelling future where Artificial Intelligence (AI) not only transforms the workplace but also surpasses human capabilities in creative domains, including songwriting. Harari suggests that AI, with its vast data processing and connectivity, could analyze individual preferences and compose songs tailored to evoke specific emotions with unparalleled precision. Imagine AI crafting the perfect happy song to banish sadness, a bespoke soundtrack for every mood. This raises a fundamental question: can AI truly create a good song, or even a great one?
While AI might excel at producing technically proficient music designed to elicit desired feelings, this perspective overlooks a crucial dimension of what makes a good song resonate deeply. Yes, music evokes emotions – joy, sorrow, excitement, nostalgia – but a truly impactful song transcends mere emotional manipulation. It inspires a sense of awe, a feeling intrinsically linked to our human condition and limitations. Awe arises from witnessing the audacious reach of human potential against the backdrop of inherent constraints.
Consider Nirvana’s iconic “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” AI could potentially dissect its components, replicate its sonic elements, and even generate a song that triggers similar feelings of rebellion and youthful energy, perhaps even more intensely. But is that the full story? Listening to “Smells Like Teen Spirit” is not just about experiencing a surge of rebellious excitement. It’s about connecting with the raw, unfiltered expression of Kurt Cobain, a young man from Aberdeen, Washington, grappling with alienation and personal struggles. His music, born from human vulnerability and imperfection, became a powerful anthem for a generation. We are not just hearing notes and lyrics; we are hearing a story of human experience, struggle, and triumph over limitations.
Think of Iggy Pop’s raw, boundary-pushing performances, Beethoven composing masterpieces in deafness, Prince’s electrifying Super Bowl performance in the rain, Nina Simone channeling pain into poignant love songs, Paganini’s virtuosity amidst broken strings, or Jimi Hendrix’s fiery guitar sacrifice. These moments transcend technical skill; they embody human audacity, resilience, and the drive to push beyond perceived limitations.
We are listening to Jimi Hendrix kneel and set fire to his own instrument.
What captivates us in these musical moments is not just the polished outcome, but the palpable struggle and the sheer nerve to transcend human frailty. AI, despite its limitless potential in processing data and generating complex algorithms, lacks this fundamental human element. Transcendence necessitates limitation. If potential is boundless, what is there to overcome? Where is the impetus for imagination to soar? The wonder we derive from music lies in the audacious attempt to touch the sublime, not merely in achieving a flawless result.
Therefore, to answer the question of whether AI can create a good song, the answer is likely yes, in a technical sense. AI can undoubtedly compose melodies, harmonies, and rhythms that are pleasing to the ear and emotionally evocative. However, can AI create a truly great song, one that inspires awe and resonates with the depths of human experience? Probably not. Because a truly great song is not just about technical proficiency or emotional manipulation; it’s about the human nerve to reach for something extraordinary, to transcend limitations, and to share that journey with the world. It is in this very human audacity, born from imperfection, that the true magic of a good song, a truly great song, resides.
