The music is typically good - it's Steven Wilson - but I'm not sure about the lyrics. I think it does demonstrate that AI can help with writing lyrics but maybe not yet entirely. I don't know, what do you think?

 

who gets the royalties?

 

Who TF is Steve Wilson?

 

I find it amusing that Steven Wilson asks AI to compose in the style of Steven Wilson. I'm feeling a sort of vortex of a paradox overlaid with a hint of a dichotomy, if not a full blown oxymoron. Or maybe it's sinus trouble. Either way it's all a bit blah especially when we've just been reminded of the recently departed, Shane McGowans truly "human" Christmas song. AI will never write "Merry Christmas your arse I pray God it's our last"

 

"Don't mention christmas."

"I mentioned it once, but I think I got away with it."

Very good. Well done that machine, you've managed to demonstrate/remind us how memorably vacuous even xmas lyrics by hoomans can be.

 

A year and a half ago, I was sort of on the fence about AI, more veering toward against than for. But I was open minded at that point. Now, having seen the social effects, and having read a ton of literature, and having my own perspectives around it – I think it’s bad that this happened.

Especially when it comes from the guy who wrote ‘The Sound of Muzak’. It’s bad regardless of if it’s trying to prove a point about AI, or a genuine attempt at songcraft. Because guess what, plenty of people make shit art and if you want to make sort of lazy critiques about how vapid Christmas songs can be, you can do a better job than this.

Ultimately, people will try to reduce the way AI datasets are gathered and made to how you as a human perceive, collect, interpret, and experience the world. “You’re no different than AI, you hear an artist you like, and you take that and use it in some capacity in your work.” Or some argument like that. That’s a simpleton understanding. An AI doesn’t struggle to come up with lyrics, it doesn’t enrich itself making art. Ultimately, it doesn’t have intentionality, or understanding, or a lifetime of emotions, and complex contradictions. It hallucinates sometimes but can never do the unexpected intentionally.

That being said, I’m not completely opposed to AI entirely. Maybe it gives you a prompt or something. Maybe you can salvage an unusable old recording. But co-making art in this sort of capacity is cheap to me.

 

artificial intelligence will be killed by its own stupidity....

 

Your comments are noted, however I think the final say should go to ChatGPT itself since it wrote the lyrics.

'What do you think about Steven Wilson using AI to write all of the lyrics of his Christmas song?'

Reply:

'As of my last knowledge update in January 2022, I do not have specific information about Steven Wilson using AI to write all the lyrics of his Christmas song. However, the use of artificial intelligence in various aspects of the creative process, including music composition and lyric writing, has become more prevalent in recent years.

If Steven Wilson were to use AI for lyric writing, it would not be unprecedented in the music industry. Some artists and producers have experimented with AI tools to generate lyrics, melodies, or even entire compositions. The decision to use AI in the creative process is often driven by a desire for innovation, exploration of new possibilities, or simply as an experiment in the creative workflow.

The reception of AI-generated content in the arts can vary. Some appreciate the novel and often unexpected results that AI can produce, while others may have reservations about the authenticity and emotional depth of AI-generated work compared to that created by human artists.

It's important to note that opinions on this topic can be subjective, and attitudes toward AI-generated art may evolve as technology continues to advance. If there have been developments in Steven Wilson's use of AI in music creation since my last update, I recommend checking more recent sources for the latest information and perspectives on this matter.'

 

I am not a great fan of A.I but I have to admit that the instrumentation choices are very good.

 

I did one too but nobody cares

 

The lyrics are crafty, evoking emotion and visual memory. Wilson's melody, and as said by BaSsDuDe, his instrumentation choices work well for the song.

Where are Sarah and John Conner? We need them NOW before it's too late!

 

'ChatGPT, where are Sarah and John Conner?'

ChatGPT - 'It's too late.'

 

For people unfamiliar with Steven Wilson I can recommend this video with a wonderful guitar solo by Guthrie Govan and a non-AI animation.

 

I would say that creating a Christmas tune is one of the most difficult things in music. I'm halfway through making one myself, I abandoned it several years ago and want to finish it. Of course, I used sleigh bells but I think they have to come out, I think the trick is to make the music a nod towards Christmas rather than an obvious attempt to write a Christmas song. George Michael wouldn't have agreed. If I think it's good enough I'll upload it here but it almost certainly won't be.

 

No.
It will be killed by MY stupidity.
My stupidity is more power.

 

I think that humanity is more stupid than i thought . The dystopian movies we all have seen all these years instead of wake up the people , they put him to sleep ........ If you want to see the future , watch episode 5 of Western World final season . They try to warn us ( most directors are with the Light Side but ,,,, ) but as you can see no one listen to them and the end of the Free World is close .....

 

Most people (and myself) do not give a fuck if a good song was created by a human or AI. If it is good, I am pleased, if it is not it would be just a waste of my time.
And .. you (many of you!) already know that!

 

Last edited: Dec 16, 2023

Did he use ChatGPT or another app ? thanks
So Ai made the lyrics first and then Wilson composed music ?

 

I hate Christmas songs.
That said, I think the lyrics are even better than those of the average Christmas pop song.
AI or not AI thats (not) the question.
What counts is it works as @Lois Lane said.

 

He wrote this below the video on youtube...

'Challenged by a friend last week on why I’d never done a Christmas song, I protested it wasn't really me, and besides I didn’t think I had it in me to write suitably Christmassy lyrics. "No problem”, he said, "we’ll get ChatGPT to do it for you!", upon which he instructed the AI to generate Christmas lyrics in the style of Steven Wilson. Which it proceeded to do so. By the yard, in fact, I was shocked at how instantaneous and easy it was to guide it ("don’t actually mention Christmas" we said to it, "make it feel more lonely”…etc)

I’m still not entirely sure what I think about AI, the knee-jerk reaction is to consider it a threat to a musician like me, but it’s clearly not going away, so this is my experiment to try embracing it and using it as a tool in the creative process. And of course also to have some fun doing something I would never normally have thought about doing, the archetypal seasonal song. December Skies is the result, swiftly recorded last weekend and written in collaboration with an Artificial Intelligence version of myself. I wonder what people will make of it. I wonder what I make of it.

In keeping with the artificial intelligence theme, the visualiser for December Skies has also been generated using a purpose built AI system created by Miles Skarin. The video is based on imagery drawn from some of my previous videos then placed into 2D and 3D backdrops.

Music by Steven Wilson, guitar solo and backing vocals by Randy McStine. December Skies (lyrics by ChatGPT).

In the hush of a long winter’s dream
Through a window the candlelight gleams
Veiled in whispers the stillness of night
On a canvas of stars in the sky

All the world sleeps on in silence
Wrapped in a blanket of snow
But when the morning awakens
The beauty of life starts to flow

December skies will carry me home

In the forest where moonlight it shines
The grip of the frost on the pines
Then the air weaves the warmth of a song
Still the heartbeat of winter goes on'