JAMMS seminar sounds alarm on AI and dubplate industry

When an artificial intelligent (AI) chatbot can be programmed to replicate a dubplate from any reggae or dancehall artiste and it sounds just like the artiste, it can be a bit eerie.

But that is the reality posed by ChatGPT, a bot which was developed by Silicon Valley-based OpenAI and backed by Microsoft. ChatGPT is described as “a large language model trained on a massive amount of text data, allowing it to generate eerily human-like text in response to a given prompt. It can simulate dialogue, answer follow-up questions, admit mistakes, challenge incorrect premises and reject inappropriate requests”.

As real life catches up with what was once considered science fiction, concerns were expressed by music industry movers and shakers about the effects of AI on the ecosystem, even as fears were allayed and the beginning of the way forward was mapped. Several persons in the audience at the Jamaica Music Society’s (JAMMS) seminar last Tuesday at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel were jolted into some kind of awakening by the realities of AI.

JAMMS’s music seminar was presented under the theme ‘Understanding Rights, Royalties and the Changing Architecture of the Music Industry’. Numbered among the learned panellists, presenters and moderators were Kendall Minter, entertainment and intellectual property rights attorney; Haldane ‘Danny’ Browne, producer, musician and JAMMS chairman; Cleveland ‘Clevie’ Browne, producer, audio engineer and musician; Mikie Bennett, record producer and songwriter; Sara Hsia, entertainment and intellectual property rights lawyer, who was represented by an AI bot; Rohan ‘Snow Cone’ Fuller, record producer; Wayne Chen, music commentator, author and attorney-at-law; Sean ‘Seanizzle’ Reid, record producer; and JAMMS General Manager Evon Mullings.

In his address, Mulling shared that the seminar would address longstanding issues, as well as AI, an emerging issue which, he noted, was “inescapable”.

“Artificial intelligence ... you are going to be hearing that word over and over again today. It is something which is imminent ... and is has begun to be disruptive. In our own field it is going to become impactful, adverse unless we are going to leverage it to our benefit,” Mullings said.

He cited the “need to be more nimble and be adept at not being reactive” adding that change can be uncomfortable “but comfort and complacency do not create growth”.

THREAT

Zoning in on the dubplate industry, Mullings stated, “It has been one of the most resilient part of the industry for decades. It has served the artistes and producers well. You don’t have to have a hit song or a No. 1 song to earn from it, but artificial intelligence now poses a real threat to our dubplate industry. Someone sitting in Germany, for instance, may not necessarily any more have to make a call or have a connection to Jamaica to get a Bounty Killer dub. They can use ChatGPT or some other new technology to replicate Bounty Killer’s voice.”

“How are you going to use that to your advantage? None of us will escape the influence,” Mullings warned.

He explained that this new technology “did not just creep up on us” and pointed out that major companies such as Sony, Warner, BMI have been investing in AI technologies so they are not left behind.

Referring to other immediate issues, Mullings touched on the shift in the sound of our music.

“Reggae is still holding its own but there has been a shift in the dancehall sound. We are not sure what has caused this shift. ... The essence that we are accustomed to is more elusive in the sounds we are hearing and that is cause for concern. We need to maintain the essence and authenticity of the Jamaican sound globally,” the JAMMS general manager stated.

Doing some housekeeping, he shared that JAMMS has been taking the initiative so that its member are benefiting. The society now has arrangements with over 70 countries including Poland, Bulgaria, South Korea, Latin America and Brazil. “We are not just about royalties; we are looking to be a more full service type organisations as we progress.”

In an interview after the seminar, Mullings stated, “The Annual Business of Music Seminar staged by us has become a highly anticipated event. We returned with the event after a three-year break and the industry turned up. We have always delivered in assembling line-ups of top international presenters and panellists as well as some of the best minds and practitioners from the local sphere and the industry appreciates that.

“Our objective is always to bring cutting-edge knowledge and bring awareness through critical assessment of those issues which are important to economic viability of the industry and well-being of the industry players themselves. A key focus issue within our theme this year was artificial intelligence and its implications for the industry but also how it can be leveraged by the industry for a better future. The turnout and sustained interest of the audience throughout the day signalled to us that this year’s staging was a huge success.”

Throughout the day, the panels had rousing discussion on several topics including: Popular Music Culture and Broadcast Standards in Jamaica: Artiste & Repertoire Discovery and Development; The Role, Impact and Duty of Record Producers in Shaping the Direction and Sound of Music Genres; Master Rights Ownership – Setting the Record Straight; Beatmakers & Record Producers: The Jamaican Dynamics Regarding Ownership, Control & Transfer of Rights; Jamaican Music – Its Relevance, Resilience and Commercial Viability: Is our Music Still Finding Global Audience?

yasmine.peru@gleanerjm.com