January 2025, amidst the winter chill, a profound discussion on the intersection of music and artificial intelligence (AI) brought a breath of spring to attendees. The “Journey to the Future World 2050” series, focusing on AI and artistic imagination, officially kicked off. As the prelude to the event, Lei Shute, the 2013 champion of “Star Avenue”, guided students from the United States, Beijing, Shanghai, and Zhejiang through an in-depth exploration of AI’s far-reaching impact on the music industry, framed within the context of “sweet, sour, bitter, and spicy” experiences.
Lei Shute particularly emphasized the “spicy” aspect—the transformative potential of AI in the music world. He meticulously analyzed how AI-generated commercial pop songs, often referred to as “earworms,” are reshaping the market landscape. Lei also shared profound insights on how AI is altering musicians’ creative processes, career trajectories, and the challenges of copyright protection. He underscored that AI is not only revolutionizing the music industry but also exerting a broad and profound influence on society as a whole. In the face of this trend, Lei stressed the importance of continuous learning and adaptation to remain resilient amidst rapid technological and societal changes.
During the event, students and Lei engaged in lively discussions on topics ranging from the popularity of AI-generated pop songs, copyright protection, privacy concerns, the future of music creation, to whether intelligent entities could one day be recognized as natural persons. This dialogue not only opened new horizons for the “Journey to the Future World 2050” art season, blending music and technology, but also provided participants with a window to envision the world of 2050.
Lei Shute expressed his belief that 2050 will be an era of deep integration between AI and music. He eagerly anticipates reuniting with everyone in 2050, sharing the stage with AI to showcase the boundless possibilities of music and technology colliding. The event concluded in a warm and enthusiastic atmosphere, with attendees expressing their excitement for the year 2050 and their hope to reunite with Lei to witness the future world they envisioned in 2025.
Let us look forward to 2050, to reuniting with Lei Shute, and to a future where music and AI intertwine in extraordinary ways!
