Stability AI: Much Ado About Nothing? We're Putting It To The Test(s)
As with all AI content and media, we clearly label and link to the origins.
Yet.
Stability AI, a UK-based AI startup, recently made headlines as CEO Emad Mostaque stepped down amid investor tensions and controversies. AI is also under increasingly hostile fire from many creatives and artists, but is the argument honestly about job displacement, copyright infringement, or is it more a fear of not being able or willing to evolve, as is historically the case with such paradigm shifts?
Editor’s Note: I was a relatively early adopter of Generative AI regarding music composition. Here is my first song/music video, from seven years ago in 2017.
Objectively, I heard something fundamentally different than human. Neither superior nor inferior. Dare I say creatively original? Virgin soil. Pristine. I was hooked and wanted more of this new drug. Post haste.
Without dropping names, I am, or was, friends with the drummer from a well-known Chicagoland band. When I made the mistake of sharing my AI stuff with him, he tore me a new one, and then some. I did not understand the anger. He’s still pissed and won’t return my emails. So instead of rejecting AI, I embraced it, and thus began StableAudio.com Tests. At first I wanted to see how complex AI could be so of course, I asked it to create a Progressive Rock song.
If you follow along you’ll notice how I begin to learn how to elicit better results, and then I just push the kid too hard like I did with… difficult students… when I taught, so the results don’t “earn” rave reviews and little is actually achieved. But again, I am the one learning here, and it’s a worthwhile lesson, creatively and otherwise.
Since AI is such a time saver, I decided to augment the arduous Americana YouTube playlist with actual new material to better illustrate the proposed thematic direction for the Orchestra Americana to potential TATANKA members. Whether we integrate AI or not is up to The Council, who ultimately determines our AI Policy, but it fits the current bill, so I will keep testing until I run out of Americana sub-genres, or something shiny catches my attention, or there is sudden movement, like a SQUIRREL!
My writing, kids, is undiagnosed ADHD run amuck for decades, so… stay in school or something? I don’t know. Go talk to your mother!
Let’s start, er, continue, with the events that led to this significant change in Stability AI’s leadership.
Stability AI, known for its Stable Diffusion product, faced internal turmoil as CEO Emad Mostaque decided to step down, citing the need for decentralized AI governance.
Stability AI gained recognition for its innovative image generation tool, Stable Diffusion, which contributed to the rise of GenAI tools. The startup achieved a valuation of $1 billion in 2022, showcasing its early success in the AI market.
After co-founding Stability AI in 2019, Mostaque announced his departure to focus on decentralized AI governance. He emphasized the importance of transparent and distributed AI governance to combat the centralization of power in the industry.
Mostaque faced criticism for alleged misleading statements and controversies, including a lawsuit filed by co-founder Cyrus Hodes. The former CEO’s claims of being a former UK government secret agent added to the skepticism surrounding his leadership.
In 2023, leading investors of Stability AI called for Mostaque’s resignation, highlighting ongoing tensions and the need for a change in leadership to address internal conflicts and restore investor confidence.
With COO Shan Shan Wong and CTO Christian Laforte stepping in as interim co-CEOs, Stability AI faces a period of transition and reevaluation. The company’s ability to navigate these challenges will determine its future trajectory in the competitive AI landscape.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology has revolutionized the music industry in recent years, allowing for the generation of unique and innovative Americana music. Americana music is a genre that combines elements of traditional American folk, country, blues, and rock music to create a sound that is distinctively American. With the help of AI algorithms, musicians and producers can now harness the creative benefits of AI-generated Americana music to enhance their own musical compositions and repertoire.
One of the key creative benefits of AI-generated Americana music is the ability to generate new and original musical ideas. AI algorithms can analyze vast amounts of musical data and patterns to create unique melodies, harmonies, and rhythms that may not have been thought of by human musicians. This can help musicians and producers to break out of creative ruts and explore new musical directions that they may not have considered before.
Furthermore, AI-generated Americana music can also help musicians to experiment with different instrumentation and arrangements. By inputting specific musical parameters into the AI software, musicians can explore different musical styles and instrumentation to create a sound that is entirely their own. This can lead to the creation of fresh and innovative Americana music that pushes the boundaries of the genre and captivates listeners with its unique sound.
In addition, AI-generated Americana music can also help musicians to increase their productivity and efficiency in the creative process. AI algorithms can generate musical ideas quickly and efficiently, allowing musicians to spend more time refining their compositions and arrangements rather than getting stuck on a blank page. This can lead to a higher output of creative work and a more streamlined workflow for musicians and producers.
Moreover, AI-generated Americana music can also help musicians to collaborate with other artists and producers in new and innovative ways. By sharing AI-generated musical ideas and compositions with collaborators, musicians can spark new creative collaborations and explore different musical perspectives. This can lead to the creation of collaborative Americana music that blends the artistic visions of multiple creators to create a truly unique and diverse sound.
Additionally, AI-generated Americana music can also help musicians to reach a wider audience and connect with fans on a deeper level. By creating music that is innovative and cutting-edge, musicians can attract new listeners and build a loyal fan base that is excited to explore their musical creations. This can lead to increased exposure and opportunities for musicians to share their music with the world and make a lasting impact on the music industry.
Furthermore, AI-generated Americana music can also help musicians to explore new musical techniques and styles that they may not have considered before. By experimenting with AI algorithms and software, musicians can push the boundaries of their own musical abilities and challenge themselves to create music that is truly groundbreaking and unique. This can lead to the development of new skills and techniques that can enhance the creative abilities of musicians and producers.
Moreover, AI-generated Americana music can also help musicians to expand their musical horizons and explore different genres and influences. By inputting specific musical parameters into the AI software, musicians can experiment with different genres and musical styles to create a sound that is truly their own. This can lead to the creation of hybrid Americana music that fuses elements of different genres to create a sound that is both fresh and exciting.
To summarize, the creative benefits of AI-generated Americana music are vast and far-reaching, offering musicians and producers new opportunities to explore their own creativity and push the boundaries of the genre. By harnessing the power of AI algorithms, musicians can generate new and innovative musical ideas, experiment with different instrumentation and arrangements, increase their productivity and efficiency in the creative process, collaborate with other artists and producers in new and innovative ways, reach a wider audience and connect with fans on a deeper level, explore new musical techniques and styles, expand their musical horizons, and challenge themselves to create music that is truly groundbreaking and unique. The future of Americana music is bright with the possibilities of AI technology, offering musicians the chance to redefine the genre and create music that is truly their own.
Perhaps the Turing Test is obsolete as it compares apples with oranges. If you do the basic math, AI has apparently surpassed the Singularity, as our tests seem to illustrate. Not perfectly, but again, something wholly new and in its infancy. We likely are on the cusp of an evolutionary quantum leap which will benefit humanity far beyond mere music. Care to read more? Check out Imagine: The AI Good Book, an AI manifesto we are writing – er – AI and us are writing together (Church Of AI is one of our initiatives) to flesh out the framework of what is to come.
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