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Then he took a step back, saw there were opportunities as well
as threats and used the technology to generate a whole new
Afrobeats album in his studio on the outskirts of Lagos.
"It (AI) doesn't have to replace what we have. It gives people a
new experience ... and that's how I believe AI is really going
to shake things," Nkasi told Reuters.
In the past, it would have taken him thousands of dollars and up
to three months to compose the tracks, recruit the musicians,
record the performances, knock them into shape in a traditional
studio and get them out to fans.
This one took about three days and $500.
Nkasi and three friends switched on OpenAI's ChatGPT program and
set it to work helping them create the nine-track album
"Infinite Echoes".
They asked it to auto-generate songs lyrics and song titles -
including "God Whispers", "Love Tempo", and "Dream Chaser". Then
they modified the words themselves to fit into their chosen
theme - a struggling artist who will not give up their passion
to create music.
Then they used another AI tool to generate the tunes. Nkasi
recorded some vocals and fed them into yet another app - which
transformed his vocals into the voice of the album's generated
singer.
That virtual "singer" is called Mya Blue who appears in front of
her audience online as a computer animation.
"There are certain things that will become obsolete" due to AI,
Nkasi said. But it should also create opportunities for artists
to reinvent themselves and do their work better and quicker, he
added.
The technology is already transforming the industry and could
have a positive impact on production values and other technical
sides to the recording process, said Lagos-based music critic
Omotolani Alake.
But there are still lots of uncertainties and areas, including
copyright, that need to be considered and developed, he added.
"We are at the very beginning."
(Writing by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
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