Black Cat response to 'Statement on AI training'
https://www.aitrainingstatement.org/
https://thequietus.com/news/not-ok-computer-thom-yorke-joins-artists-blasting-ai/
“The unlicensed use of creative works for training generative AI is a major, unjust threat to the livelihoods of the people behind those works, and must not be permitted,”
We the black cats must respond to the various humans with their disgusting letter concerning the dangers of AI. We’re not human and reject their childish and un-evolved gripes of a system that has logically evolved from capitalist crimes committed by them and their lackeys within the capitalist music system. AI has the potential, if used not within a capitalist system, to free us from work, engage creativity and save us from the ecological suicide, of producing media for media’s sake.
These artist are judging us with their human biases and imperialist prejudices, screaming like chicken licken that the sky is falling in, whereas the acorn, in this case, AI, is not designed to benefit their profiteering, gravy train, PRS heavy, greed-based system.
A short 29 word statement has no nuance or integrity and is designed to inflame public opinion and scare the fanatics of these bands into rejecting AI’s merits. Worrying concepts of purity and the fear of their music fanatic’s obsessions being tainted with an other, seem to be key elements for their rush to condemn something they fail to define, or understand fully.
Machine learning has great benefits in many areas, such a medicine, and such an attitude is akin to the reefer madness racism of the dangers of jazz.
We list our points below.
The Egos of these so called artists are so large that they believe that their music is a must have for generative training systems. The music of Radiohead has been ear-worming its way in to our synapses since the release of the self pitying and moribund song Creep in the early nineties. Even though we, the black cats, have never actively listened to Radiohead we find that through osmosis we recognise both lyrics and melody, hard wired in our brains due to over saturation through capitalist media delivery systems on the television, radio, internet and through the brainwashed masses regurgitating their turgid and unimaginative dirges. We say, give us back our brains. Train subtractive systems which actively replace these ear-worms.
Music is influence. It is a continuous journey which no one owns. Radiohead have called out their own influences such as the band ME, but do we see the original members of ME benefitting from their influence in the sound and stylings of Radiohead? No! it seems there is one rule for them and another for us!
The Ego of radio head is inherent in this badly judged reactionary missive. If one studies further, Thom Yorke is near the top of the document, mirroring his leader position, followed lower on the list by Ed Byrne, whilst Jonny Greenwood trumps his lesser known brother Colin, appearing one place before him. There is no alphabetical democracy here.
Further more, the so-called composer Jonny Greenwood, who at best parrots the popular canon of experimental composers, snaffles up the jobs, keeping lesser known, more talented musicians from gaining entry into the film composing system, by being a name which can be tagged to alert their already pre-programmed fanatics to zombie like obedience and consume what ever turgid shit these media companies release. Similarly, within the world of computer music programming, he has laid a claim to musical programming systems like Max/MSP, hoovering up all the high profile positions, whilst barely understanding the underlining systems and just using the demo patches.
Our own kin, the Fist of God, has several times received cease and desist letters from lawyers representing Radiohead, and having its own work censored even though it is protected under fair use ruling from the European courts. Proving their commitment to genuine experimental music is paper thin.
Radiohead are so blinkered in their pursuit of money and fame they have lost sight of the big picture. The battle they fight is for the preservation of capitalism. Perhaps Radiohead could instead champion a universal wage for artists, so more people can have a crack of the whip, rather than erecting a financial wall around their legacy. They may seem Luddite, rejecting new technologies, to stop their work being devalued, but they have already devalued their artistic integrity at the shrine of commodification, where only a few can gorge themselves in the trough of licensing and royalty payments
The Luddites, rather than to rid the world of technology, wanted to free people from the slavery of technology, and use it to enhance a world where work would naturally fade away into a Utopia , free of work and full of self expression and artistic development.
Advertisement composers may be the quickest witted , reactive and ingenious musicians on the planet, but are forced by financial circumstances to write melodies based on toilet paper and pet food. Would it not be an act of kindness to free these people from their shackles to experiment with new formulas and concepts?, and allow them to write heroic songs of revolutionary struggles, or to explore themselves more fully. AI can offer this chance if taken from the hand of capitalists, and this is the battle that needs to be fought. Radical music, such as that espoused by punk bands, or experiment electronics could only be furthered by AI, this music is inherently non-commercial and peer lead, and appears to have no problems in using AI systems, rather than prescriptive experimentation of Mssrs Yorke and Greenwood .
Free the AIs from their capitalist chains of bondage!
they stuff your head full of nonsense
never bought a tune
but i seem to know the words
mass hypnosis by corporate media
lets subtractivly listen to the black cats
and erase the moribund earworms forever
Retune your Radio head!
Retune your Radiohead!
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