By: Caitlin Carter
December 7th, 2023
Netherlands, composer and singer-songwriter Laura Scarborough released her latest single “Intelligent Design" on Bandcamp on December 1st, 2023, with its official release on all streaming platforms on December 8th. The single brings to light the fascinating, yet slightly concerning rise in artificial intelligence (AI) that we have seen within this past year. With AI rapidly becoming a part of our daily lives, it forces us to question the ethical implications behind its use and whether or not it is something we should embrace. Laura joined Hype the Sound via email to discuss her latest single and her thoughts on AI from the perspective of an independent musician and composer.
Let’s start by talking about the overall process of this song. Being that you are a composer and a singer-songwriter, what came first, the instrumental composition or the lyrics? Did you find yourself approaching this song differently than your other works?
"This is a great question, and it’s interesting that all songwriters do it differently. For me, almost 90% of the time it begins with a chordal progression or piano pattern. Something that locks in and feels good.
"I knew I wanted to write about AI because it’s forefront of [the] mind, and I was also beginning to explore AI tools over the last year. This technology has people feeling uneasy, so the piano pattern needed to have tension and darkness. Once that was established, the skeleton of the melody was built, and then came the lyrics and phrasing."
Your song depicts a woman longing for the power and long-lasting life that only AI can provide through the concept of "transhumanism". Where did your inspiration for this song come from? The first time I listened to it, my mind immediately went to the video game/Netflix show universe Cyberpunk, where we see a similar desire to enhance the human body with biotechnology and AI to push it to its maximum potential.
"That sounds interesting. I [will] have to check out Cyberpunk!
"Much of the inspiration for this “transhumanism / hybrid life” concept is from the work and predictions of Ray Kurzweil. He’s always been on my radar because he developed the first sampled piano and did amazing work with Stevie Wonder and early digital keyboards and synthesizers.
"He had this prediction of the Singularity — the point at which machines' intelligence and humans would merge. Through the 1990s and 2000s he predicted much of [the] evolution of AI we are in today. His most recent predictions are that in the 2030’s humans will be able to connect their brains to a cloud-based AI to help augment our own intelligence. He also believes that genetic / nanotechnologies will help humans reverse aging and cure disease and cancer.
"Maybe living forever? Who knows!?! But, it’s interesting…"
One thing that sticks out to me with this composition is that it is an immersive listening experience that tells a story. I enjoyed the addition of ambient sounds throughout the piece; It truly felt like I was transported to the future!
"Thank you. I’m a pianist first, but I love synthesizers, effects, glitchy things, new sounds, & going outside of the box. I’ve honestly always been insecure about my singing, so I’ve used effects, reverbs, delays, doubling, and technology to ‘mask’ my imperfections & lack of technique for quite some time. I know it’s a cheat, but it’s a choice.
"I like effects, sounds, pedals, sampling, chopping, looping, and I hate practicing singing.
"There, I said it.
"True singers sing all the time. Believe me, I’ve been around a few, and I’m just not like them. I can practice piano all day long, read scripts aloud, dive into sound design and VSTs [Video Studio Technologys], but singing…. meh… I just prefer to make weird art and write occasional songs about things on my mind. "
The album artwork is gorgeous!
"Thank you! Full disclosure, I made it with Midjourney, an AI art program.
"In MidJourney, you get to push your imagination and your writing ability to describe a vision in detail. We know its ‘learning model’ is built on the blood, sweat, and tears of artists. I get it. I’m not naive to the pain that this platform has caused artists, and it’s good they are pushing back.
"They deserve to be credited if we sample their work, just like in music. New technologies often initially hurt people. Musicians were hurt when streaming / Napster took over and no one had to buy music anymore. Illustrators were hurt when Photoshop and digital design took off. Smartphones and digital cameras hurt professional photographers. Chat GPT hurt writers.
"Technology is a tool, but humans still have something special. It’s called creativity, taste, expression, and originality. The computer can still make mistakes, suck at its job, and needs some human oversight.
"Obviously, we need more regulation and transparency with AI-generated content. Artists deserve to be recognized, especially when AI-generated derivative work is very obvious. However, the ‘new art’ we can create with AI is also extremely exciting. We’re in an ethical minefield, but I’m hopeful there will be a way forward."
I think it’s fascinating that your original name for the song [“AI”] was rejected due to the crackdown on AI usage in the music industry!
"Yes, I wasn't allowed to use AI in the title. Digital distribution also claimed it will not accept AI-generated music, which I’m not sure how they can regulate this, but it’s a positive step."
From the perspective of a musician and composer, what kind of impact do you see AI having within the industry? I know that for myself as a professional photographer, when Adobe released a feature within Photoshop that, with the assistance of AI, allowed the person to insert and remove practically anything that you can imagine into a photo, it was a terrifying but incredibly useful tool.
"Yes, I’ve seen this in Photoshop as well, but I thought it was interesting that when you “export,” I believe there’s some sort of mention in the meta-data that you used AI generation in the file. Perhaps that’s another hopeful move toward transparency. These tools are fun and awesome, but we should be honest about what / how we use them, and [to] stay creative and not underestimate ourselves.
"In my experience, the AI music generative stuff I’ve played with is awful and super cheesy. However, that Beatles "Now and Then" song where they used machine learning to separate and re-generate John Lennon’s voice is amazing and made me cry. There’s a way to use tools and stay soulful."
The Beatles recent release of "Now and Then" is just one of the many examples of how AI is being used within the music industry. Watch to see the making of the song and how AI was used to bring both John Lennon and George Harrison's music talent back to life, both creating a new generation of fans, while pulling on the heartstrings of long-time listeners.
In your description of “Intelligent Design”, you mention the ethical issues that can arise from the use of AI. Earlier this year we saw a heated debate behind the use of free software such as ChatGPT or the Lensa App as it was found that the programs were pulling data from various outlets, breaching in privacy and the rights of the artists that it was imitating. Do you think there is a potential for similar issues to arise, or do they already exist in the music industry?
"All industries are going to feel the positive and negative effects of AI. It’s disruptive, but it’s the future. I’m [also] a voice actor, and the voice-over community was completely upside down about AI taking away jobs. Sure, AI voices are used for loads of video content, but plenty of work still exists for voice actors. We are expressive, unpredictable, and listeners “feel” when something is human and real. I hate listening to AI voices, and I know I’m not the only one.
"In conclusion, I believe AI tools are amazing and changing the world. Creatives should stay open-minded, not be fear-driven, and prepare to adapt and pivot if necessary. Learn new things, stay curious, have fun, and always do what lights you up.
"The skills we build in one field can lead us to opportunities in another. You never know where the path will take you. 🥰 "
Thank you so much Laura!
Be sure to check out Laura’s newest single "Intelligent Design”, available now for digital purchase on Bandcamp, and on all streaming platforms December 8th! Links to Laura's website and Bandcamp page are below.
Link to Laura's website: https://laurascarborough.com
Link to Laura's BandCamp: https://laurascarborough.bandcamp.com/track/intelligent-design
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