The production is slick, the drums are on point, and the vocals sound great, but a titan of Newfoundland and Labrador91裸聊视频檚 music scene hears something off about 91裸聊视频淚t Could Be Worse91裸聊视频� and 91裸聊视频淭ales of The Atlantic,91裸聊视频� two songs generated in less than a minute by a powerful algorithm.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 a country singer, so that91裸聊视频檚 wrong. And the lyrics don91裸聊视频檛 really rhyme,91裸聊视频� said Bob Hallett, a founding member of Newfoundland folk-rock band Great Big Sea. 91裸聊视频淚t just sounds sort of strange.91裸聊视频�

Hallett had just finished listening to the rollicking tunes, which were created using a generative artificial intelligence tool called Suno using prompts that could describe any Great Big Sea jam: Celtic, folk, lively, passionate.

They didn91裸聊视频檛 hit the mark, Hallett said. On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the band91裸聊视频檚 hit 91裸聊视频淥rdinary Day,91裸聊视频� he gave the songs a two.

But experts say that rating could increase quickly. Technology like Suno91裸聊视频檚 is advancing swiftly, and its output is only getting better, said Jimmy Lin, a professor and director at the University of Waterloo91裸聊视频檚 artificial intelligence institute.

Suno is one of several companies building generative artificial intelligence software that allows users to create original songs using text prompts. People can create instrumental tracks or songs with lyrics, which can be generated by the program or supplied by the user. But if the user offers copyrighted lyrics 91裸聊视频� the first lines of Nirvana91裸聊视频檚 91裸聊视频淪mells Like Teen Spirit,91裸聊视频� for example 91裸聊视频� the program won91裸聊视频檛 make the song.

Suno also doesn91裸聊视频檛 make songs intended to sound like other artists91裸聊视频� work, such as 91裸聊视频淗eart on My Sleeve,91裸聊视频� the AI-generatedsong using unauthorized sound-alike vocals of Drake and the Weeknd which caused controversy in the music industry last year. When asked to make 91裸聊视频渁 Great Big Sea song about cod fishing,91裸聊视频� the resulting Suno tunes had a pensive, Celtic flair, but they sounded nothing like an authentic track by the band.

Google is working on similar software, called MusicFX, which can be sampled through its AI Test Kitchen site. And Adobe unveiled Project Music GenAI Control last month, which it described as an 91裸聊视频渆arly-stage generative AI music generation and editing tool.91裸聊视频�

In December, Microsoft introduced a Suno-powered song generator for its Copilot chatbot, which is a program that uses artificial intelligence to simulate conversation with users.

The technology behind these programs is similar to that powering the ChatGPT chatbot.

Lin said such programs use massive data sets to 91裸聊视频渢rain91裸聊视频� algorithms, or step-by-step processes, to take any starting point and predict what the next one will be. So while chatbots trained with text can predict the next word in a written answer, a music-generating program is trained using sound to predict the next 91裸聊视频渁coustic sequence,91裸聊视频� he said.

The New York Times sued Microsoft and ChatGPT owner OpenAI in December for using its stories to train programs.

Lin said companies behind AI platforms that make music could find themselves in similar trouble if they91裸聊视频檝e trained their algorithms with work by artists who haven91裸聊视频檛 given consent or received compensation for their music to be used that way.

91裸聊视频淚t is an unresolved question whether this is fair use or not,91裸聊视频� he said in an interview. 91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檒l sort itself out. The court always does.91裸聊视频�

Suno91裸聊视频檚 website does not indicate what data it used to build its program, and the company did not return a request for comment.

Hallett said he wouldn91裸聊视频檛 be surprised if the algorithms had learned from a few Newfoundland bands. He said the songs it produced had a few signature sonic markings, including tight melodies and heavy strumming on acoustic guitars, that he and his fellow producers have cultivated over the years recording albums for bands like the Ennis Sisters, Shanneyganock and The Fables.

He was unfazed, however, about the music being used to train these programs, noting that artists have long been contending with platforms like YouTube and Spotify that already cut deeply into musicians91裸聊视频� earnings.

91裸聊视频淭here91裸聊视频檚 a bit of a feeling of surrender about it all 91裸聊视频� it is so hard to police it,91裸聊视频� Hallett said. 91裸聊视频淐reative work is really about driving your concert sales, or finding commercial placements. Even at the highest levels, people aren91裸聊视频檛 really making money anymore selling records.91裸聊视频�

Lin said AI-generated songs will likely be used by advertisers who need a catchy jingle for a commercial. And he believes that could start happening soon given the dizzying pace at which these tools are evolving.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檙e not talking about years or decades. We91裸聊视频檙e talking about months,91裸聊视频� Lin said.

But Hallett said anyone looking to use music to connect with an audience would be best served by human beings.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 easy to become scared of AI,91裸聊视频� he said. 91裸聊视频淏ut all of us are drawn to sincerity in music. We want to hear people who are telling us a real story and delivering real emotions. And the computer just can91裸聊视频檛 do that.91裸聊视频�

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91裸聊视频� With files from The Associated Press

Sarah Smellie, The Canadian Press