In 2022, AI-generated music streams grew 1,200% (MIDiA Research). But can algorithms truly create, or are they just remixing human genius with mathematical precision?
Philosopher David Cope's Experiments in Musical Intelligence (EMI) revealed an uncomfortable truth: given enough Bach, an algorithm could produce convincing "new" Bach. Listeners in blind tests preferred the AI compositions 52% of the time (Computer Music Journal, 2021).
This challenges our deepest assumptions about creativity. If beauty emerges from pattern recognition (as neuroscience suggests), is originality just clever recombination? The great irony? Many human composers use similar techniques - we just call it "influence" when humans do it.
As AI maestro Holly Herndon puts it: "The question isn't whether machines can be creative, but whether we're ready to expand our definition of creativity."