Will AI Mean Death of Music or More Creativity?

慢速/CET-4偏难/451词/4min2s

刘立军 供稿

Part I. QUESTIONS

Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.

Q1. What is the main purpose of the research being conducted at Queen Mary University of London?

A. To create a documentary on music history.

B. To understand the ethical concerns of AI in music.

C. To develop new virtual worlds of music using AI tools.

D. To compete with traditional methods of music production.

Q2. What kind of technology does the instrument called Netz use?

A. Virtual reality.

B. Augmented reality.

C. Analog synthesis.

D. Acoustic engineering.

Q3. How can the HITar generate additional sounds?

A. By using strings from different musical instruments.

B. Through normal guitar playing techniques.

C. By amplifying the soundwaves in the environment.

D. With built-in AI sensors that respond to human movements.

Q4. Which musician expressed a concern about the potential overuse of AI in music?

A. Amy Love.

B. John Lennon.

C. Yungblud.

D. Edith Piaf.

Q5. Based on the text, what can be inferred about Warner Music’s partnership with the estate of Edith Piaf?

A. It aims to produce an album of unreleased songs.

B. It is focused on digital remastering of old tracks.

C. It involves re-creating her voice using AI for new projects.

D. It seeks to produce a biographical film about her life.

Q6. What issue is associated with AI’s place in the music production chain according to Mathieu Barthet?

A. The need for advanced equipment.

B. The requirement for appropriate guidance and rules.

C. The lack of interest from musicians.

D. The difficulty in producing original content.

Part II. TRANSCRIPT

Will AI Mean Death of Music or More Creativity?

Inside a recording room at Queen Mary University of London, several researchers are working with new artificial intelligence (AI) tools. (Q1) Their aim is to develop what they call the “new virtual worlds” of music.

intelligence n. 智力；才智；智慧

Andrea Martonelli and Max Graf are among more than 30 doctoral students working with Mathieu Barthet, a senior lecturer in Digital Media. They are exploring the possibilities of computational creativity and generative AI. Generative AI is a term that describes technology tools designed to operate at human levels. Together, the researchers have set up a futuristic studio where music meets cutting-edge technology.

doctoral adj. 博士的；博士学位的

Graf showed off a virtual instrument to reporters with the Reuters news agency. Graf calls the instrument Netz. (Q2) Netz is played through an augmented-reality headset. Augmented-reality equipment combines the real world with computer-created content. The device Graf uses follows body movements to create musical sounds like notes and chords. (Q3) Martonelli played a HITar, a guitar with AI sensors added to it. The sensors can read his movements to create percussive, or drum-like sounds. These sounds cannot be made with a normal guitar.

chord n. 和弦；和音

sensor n. 传感器

percussive adj. 打击声的；打击乐器声的

AI can be found in music-making, dating back to the 1950s. But recent progress in generative AI has led to divided opinions on the technology. Generative AI grew in popularity last year thanks to the ChatGPT language system. Generative AI can create new sounds, words for music or entire songs on its own. But artists usually use simpler AI to add to their sound.

British musician Yungblud said he believes AI can help his music go “to another direction.” Other musicians worry that the technology could go too far. (Q4) Amy Love plays in the English rock group Nova Twins. She said she is not in favor of music that includes artificially generated voices of actual artists. She said she feels the same way about using dead artists’ voices in songs.

In November, the Beatles released the song “Now and Then.” It is considered the group’s last song and includes the voice of Beatles musician John Lennon, who died in 1980. Lennon’s voice sounds were taken from an old recording and re-created with AI. (Q5) New York City-based entertainment company Warner Music said in November it was partnering with the estate of the late French singer Edith Piaf to re-create her voice using AI.

Many experts say AI raises legal and ethical concerns. But guidelines on generative AI are still only in their early stage. (Q6) Barthet said, “I think AI can have its place in the music production chain.” But he added that is only possible if the technology is guided in the right way and if there are rules in place to make sure that musicians keep some amount of control.

ethical adj. （有关）道德的；伦理的

I’m Jill Robbins.

Part III. KEY

Q1. C.主旨题。文章中提到：“Their aim is to develop what they call the ‘new virtual worlds’ of music.”意为：“他们的目标是使用人工智能工具开发他们所说的音乐的‘虚拟新世界’。”因此答案为C。

Q2. B.细节题。文章中提到：“Netz is played through an augmented-reality headset.”意为：“Netz通过增强现实头戴式设备来演奏。”根据此句，可以确定名为Netz的乐器使用的是增强现实技术。因此答案为B。

Q3. D.细节题。文章中提到：“Martonelli played a HITar, a guitar with AI sensors added to it. The sensors can read his movements to create percussive, or drum-like sounds.”意为：“马托内利演奏带有人工智能传感器的HITar，这些传感器可以读取他的动作，从而制造打击乐或鼓声。”根据此句，可以确定HITar通过内置的AI传感器读取动作来产生声音。因此答案为D。

Q4. A.细节题。文章中提到：“Amy Love plays in the English rock group Nova Twins. She said she is not in favor of music that includes artificially generated voices of actual artists.”意为：“艾米·洛夫是英国摇滚乐队诺Nova Twins中的一员。她说她不赞成在音乐中加入对艺术家的真实演唱进行人工合成后获得的声音。”根据此句，可以确定艾米·洛夫对AI在音乐中潜在的过度使用问题表示了担忧。因此答案为A。

Q5. C.推理题。文章中提到：“Warner Music said in November it was partnering with the estate of the late French singer Edith Piaf to re-create her voice using AI.”意为：“华纳音乐公司在11月份表示，它正在与已故法国歌手Edith Piaf的遗产管理处合作，使用人工智能重新创造她的声音。”因此答案为C。

Q6. B.细节题。文章中提到：“Barthet said, ‘I think AI can have its place in the music production chain.’ But he added that is only possible if the technology is guided in the right way and if there are rules in place to make sure that musicians keep some amount of control.”意为：“巴特说：‘我认为AI可以在音乐生产链中占有一席之地。’但他补充说，只有当技术得到正确引导并且有规章确保音乐人能对AI的参与保持一定程度的控制时，这才有可能发生。”根据此句，可以确定巴特提到AI在音乐生产链中的地位与需要适当指导和规章有关。因此答案为B。

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