If A.I. took the place of musicians, would you listen to it?

A lot of popular music is made by producers and this has been true for a long time. There are drum machines, pitch correction, session musicians and music is stitched together with effects and loops and this has been true since disco and before. Additionally, corporations took over the radio programming in the 70s and dictated what music people would listen to and what wouldn’t be heard.

In my mind, popular music is already artificial which is why I rarely listen to any of it and haven’t since the mid-1970s. I mainly listen to independent musicians who write and play their own stuff which covers many genres. So AI is just another brick in the wall to bring back an old quote.

Only if I have robotic ears.

Not intentionally.  But I may not be able to tell the difference between "unfamiliar" human created music and AI. So, when the music starts playing and I don't have an immediate compulsion to hit the "next track" button, then it gets a "pass."

Great topic, it definitely needs some thought, something that I refrain from doing whenever possible. To say what is real or not real is the question? Over the years music has changed constantly thanks to different materials, different production processes, different techniques and of course different ways of thinking. Music will always push the true artists to push the limits or their artform. Do new instruments compare to Stradivarius instruments? Many will say no, does that make the new instruments artificial copies? Electric guitars are available that can be made to sound like Les Paul's, Stratocasters, Telecasters, Flying V's and many more, does that make them artificial? Perhaps these instruments are just the next evolution in music? Regardless of my opinion about rap, grunge or metal the artists still have a following that generates fans and sales, so someone is enjoying their efforts. Why shound AI be any differant, there have been many "artists" over the years that have been "one hit wonders", were they not able to "make it" or were they really not truely interested in their artform? Is a cover band artificial? The long and short of it is if I like the music I'll listen to it, if i don't like it i won't listen to it and I certainly won't purchase the track.