It is Tuesday afternoon, 4:30 p.m. I am marrying my Nephew in 48 hours. By that - I mean I am the officiant! My family is in town, I'm behind on a project for work, and I haven't finished the text for the services. What stresses me out the most? I haven't written this week's blog.
UGH.
Seeing my angst, my cousin, who is in town for the wedding, said, "What's the big deal? Send it Thursday - or just skip it this week"
Is he kidding? Does he not understand the gravity of the situation?
To be clear, you would all be just fine without my weekly missive. Perhaps even better off. Me? I haven't missed a Wednesday deadline in 15 years. And it's not gonna happen today, MISTER!
So, maybe I don't have to write it? It will be written, but perhaps not by me.
The general idea of AI and GPI is to be more human. Create a robot/software that looks like a human, moves like a human, sounds and functions like a human. This should allow them to easily take over a job already handled by a real person. Want a delivery truck to operate autonomously? Just have a humanoid robot climb into the driver's seat. Need a temporary replacement for a factory worker on an assembly line? Train a humanoid robot to use the tools and equipment the human already uses. The pursuit of a humanoid robot is all about making a form factor that can navigate a world designed by and for humans, while being adaptable enough to step into any human role—like a drummer.
The technology was developed by San Francisco-based OpenAI, a research company led by Sam Altman and backed by Microsoft and LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and Khosla Ventures.
According to an article in Wired Magazine, "ChatGPT is a new Artificial intelligence program that automatically generates text based on written prompts in a fashion that's much more advanced and creative than the chatbots of Silicon Valley's past."
And it has teachers and others scared.
In a recent conversation with a high school friend turned Collegiate Choir director, he wondered if this new technology was the death of modern instruction. I asked him if he used spell check or Grammarly. I asked if he had ever looked up information on the internet. I asked him if he used polling software, grading software, or any other piece of technology that made his job easier or made him more efficient.
I continued on and asked him, as a music teacher, had he ever used a synthesizer, midi samples, tuner, or Finale. He answered yes.
The question is not, do we use technology, but how is the technology used? Keep this in mind, the same ground mapping technology that helps to get you and your car to a location in the fastest, safest way possible is the same technology Putin is using to send bombs to Children's Hospitals in Ukraine. The same uranium used to keep Cancer at bay is also used in bombs.
What about music? The same f# used in Adagio for Strings is also used in Muzak on elevators. Sampling sounds that can put a studio musician out of work also allows sixth graders in remote locations to play along with a full string orchestra. Heck, the electric guitar was once called the death of real music.
Technology isn't good or bad. People are good and bad. And that's why AI can't replace DCI. Because AI and Chat GPI can tell you about the right and wrong way to do something, but they can't teach you the difference between right and wrong.
That's what music does.
Besides, my job is safe. It turns out that AI can't play the drums. And ANYONE can do that. But, it may have written this blog post - and it takes someone extraordinary to do that.
Have a great week!
Scott
p.s. Wednesday morning update. Finished the wedding stuff late last night. It's going to be great!