The Feminist Side of Musical AI: Holly+ and Care Ethics

Let's think about the tricky ethics of using AI in music. We're talking about how AI tools might carry some unfair baggage from the past. Take Holly+, for instance, a special AI that makes music like its creator, Holly Herndon. Shouldn't we question how it works and what it implies? We can learn from ideas like care ethics and feminism to make sure our AI music tools are fair and thoughtful. Let's dive into the concerns and how we might make AI music better. First, we need to understand that AI in music isn't just a tool but also a way we interact with art. This means we should look at it from many angles, like science, art, and ethics. Holly+ is a great example to start with. It's not just about the music it creates but also how it was made and who it's inspired by. Next, we should think about the history of AI tools. They might have some unfair stuff built into them from the past. This is what we mean by "residue-laden. " It's important to question these tools and make sure they're fair. We can do this by using different ways to evaluate them, like from an ethical or feminist perspective. Now, let's consider Holly+. This AI makes music that sounds like Holly Herndon. That's cool, but we should also think about what it means. Does it respect Holly's work and identity? Does it give credit where it's due? These are important questions to ask. Finally, we should think about how to make AI music tools better in the future. We can use ideas from care ethics and feminism to guide us. This might mean designing AI that respects and cares for the people it's inspired by. It might also mean being more open about how AI tools work and what they're based on.