Photo: David von Becker
Music of the Future – How artificial intelligence and creativity go together
Artifical Intelligence refers to the ability of a computer to solve tasks that require human intelligence. Where an algorithm can only follow fixed patterns, AI creates new connections all on its own. It learns from experience and can adapt to new information input. Fields of application range from self-driving cars to voice-controlled speakers and chess computers. But AI has also made its way into the arts.
Photo: David von Becker
The AI AIVA (Artificial Intelligence Virtual Artist), for instance, “read” thousands of pieces of music and, in this way, was trained to create its own musical works. The compositions by AIVA are even protected by copyright. In honour of Johann Sebastian Bach, the AI-powered Google Doodle allows you to enter musical notes that are then turned into a piano piece in the style of Bach.
Scratch’s programming interface is so simple that you can just get started without any prior knowledge. At the same time, it offers possibilities to create very complex projects.
The sound installation by kling klang klong in the Futurium Lab allows visitors to “conduct” a band by means of gestures. Motion tracking captures the person’s movements and changes the intensity, sonority and effects of the music. With each person conducting, the installation’s AI learns something new.
As part of the three-hour workshop Music of the Future: Motion tracking with sound design based on the “kling klang klong” exhibit in the Futurium Lab, pupils from Years 7 to 13 learn to programme their own sound installations – even if they don’t have any prior programming knowledge whatsoever.
Programming your own sound installation without prior knowledge?
In order to first gain an understanding of programming, the pupils themselves become “human algorithms”: in a chain reaction game, each participant receives a piece of paper with a command from the Scratch programming interface. “When you hear the word ‘hops’, clap your hands” or “When you hear a clap, play air guitar”. In this way, they become part of a chain of commands such as those underlying a simple algorithm. Here you can try out the chain reaction game yourself.
As the next step, the pupils are introduced to the Scratch software that they will be using for programming. The Scratch graphical programming interface is block-based: programmes can be easily created by pushing the blocks together to form stacks. Scratch is a free and ad-free programme developed by the MIT Media Lab to give children the easiest possible access to the basics of programming. Scratch also includes a simple motion tracking feature that captures movement via a laptop camera. After the introduction, the pupils get straight to programming and create their first commands in small groups. Working in groups is important so that the pupils get used to developing ideas together and overcoming difficulties as a team. Quickly and easily, they are able to programme their first commands.
The results of the first programming attempts are impressive: This bear dances the movements in front of the camera.
Then it’s time to programme the sound installation. The goal is that the pupils ultimately have their own applications that they can use to trigger and manipulate sounds through movement. They can independently consider which movement should generate which result and get started. The three-hour workshop produces creative and diverse results. One group programmes a virtual game in which a ball must be kept in the playing field via motion tracking. The sound effects allow the game to be played by people with their eyes closed – or by people with visual impairments. Another group programmes an installation in which elements on the screen are controlled by motion tracking. When the elements collide, different sounds are created, allowing the person controlling the installation to create music through their gestures.
What will be important in the future?
In our workshops, children and young people learn how to use new technologies, because this is essential if they are to actively shape the future and participate in a digital society. At the same time, they develop important social and personal skills such as the ability to work in a team, problem-solving strategies and creative thinking.
In the future, artificial intelligence will enable machines to take over more and more tasks that are currently still performed by humans. So are we all going to be unemployed? No, but other skills, such as creativity, will come more into focus. “Creativity is not simply about art. It’s the core of innovation. Therefore, it isn’t a superficial ability, but essential for humans to survive,” says Balder Onarheim, Professor of Creativity at the Technical University of Denmark. Creative thinking therefore means the ability to look at problems from a new angle, to use things differently than originally envisioned and to consciously throw learned processes out the window. Precisely those abilities that are particularly difficult for a machine to learn.