(WBBM NEWSRADIO) — The American Federation of Musicians, the union that represents music performers and artists, could be the latest entertainment industry union to go on strike over artificial intelligence.
The AFM is starting negotiations with the Hollywood producers on a new contract. One of the sticking points in the new deal: protections against the use of artificial intelligence.
Shelly Palmer, of Syracuse University, said artificial intelligence will hit the musicians who produce TV theme songs and instrumental music for stores and theme parks the hardest.
“Places where there’s lots of music you don’t really think about — you just sort of feel it; you don’t really know it’s there in a retail store,” Palmer said. “All of that’s going to go away because AI can do it all.”
There is precedent. Recorded music had a profound impact on musicians.
“There were orchestras at every television station and radio station,” he said. “They all went away, and live music became less and less of a profession.”
Palmer, who made a living for 40 years as someone who wrote music for TV, said AI will be financially devastating to people who hold jobs like his old one.
He predicted, though, that AI’s impact on professionals in the industry won’t be completely negative. For industry leaders, such as Taylor Swift, Palmer said AI tools will become incredibly useful productivity enhancers. At the other end — people who are not musicians but can describe what they feel — will have a new way to make music.
“I spent my 20,000 hours learning to play musical instruments and to compose and produce,” Palmer said. “Now, you just need to be able to describe what you want, and you’ll be able to have other people feel what you feel, which is the job of music.”
Palmer was a guest on the WBBM Noon Business Hour, which you can listen to live on the Audacy app every weekday at noon, except for most bank holidays.
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