The Paranoid Style is a successful DC-based indie band formed in 2012 and fronted by singer-songwriter Elizabeth Nelson, who is dubious about the fate of culture at the hands of AI and its bigtech proponents.
Nelson, a widely published cultural analyst, says the technological threat to music and creativity, and other aspects of culture and commerce, are real and must be managed.
In the latest episode of ‘Understanding IP Matters,’ – Singer-Songwriter Says AI Could Turn Content Providers Into an Endangered Species – Nelson explains how the role of AI in the creative process is changing rapidly, and makes a strong case for advocacy to educate about the importance of a robust, artistic community. Creators, consumers and policymakers need to listen carefully.
Middle Class Hyphenate
Nelson is the lead singer for the band The Paranoid Style, a journalist who publishes thoughtful articles in the Washington Post, The New Yorker and The New York Times Magazine, as well as a copywriter for Fender Guitars. With a Master’s Degree in sociology she also works in education policy and literacy interventions for middle school children.
This article by Nelson in The New York Times Magazine, “How the Music Industry Learned to Love Piracy,” largely about the false narrative that surrounds file sharing and streaming, is revealing on many levels, and provides insight into the possible trajectory of AI. It is worth reading.
Elizabeth Nelson: “I don’t understand how [AI] could be a useful tool for anybody who considers themselves a creator in any way. I don’t need AI to come up with a chord progression for me. I need AI to clean my house so I can do the work”
“I’d rather put rocks in my pocket and walk into the ocean [than rely on AI for creating]. I’m being very serious with you. Part of the creative process is doing the work, and I respect that. I don’t want a shortcut.”
Learn in this episode:
- If it is possible to earn a middle-class wage in the music industry today
- “There’s every reason to be concerned about the worst possible outcomes when it comes to AI’s impact.”
- The larger interests of a functioning society are not the concerns of bigtech who are developing AI tools
Subscribe for free to “Understanding IP Matters” on your favorite platform. CIPU will produce 10 episodes this season. This is S4. Previous episodes are also available at the links above.
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