This is a repost from Ted Gioia’s Substack. The use of AI for journalistic writing and editing will be a real threat to those livelihoods. Not so much for music or long-form books.

I Talk with an AI Music Historian

Maybe a chatbot can teach me a few things

Excerpt:

Ted: Okay, okay—that’s enough. Let’s try something else. You mentioned the blues earlier. If I want to learn more about the blues, where should I start?

AI Music Historian: The blues is a genre that has had a huge impact on modern music, influencing everything from rock and roll to hip-hop. Some of the most influential blues musicians of all time include:

• Robert Johnson is often regarded as the king of the Delta Blues, a style of blues that originated in the Mississippi Delta region. His music is characterized by his intricate fingerpicking style and haunting, often melancholic lyrics. Other notable Delta Blues musicians include Charley Patton, Son House, and Bukka White.
• Another important style of blues is the Chicago Blues, which emerged in the 1940s and 1950s. Some of the most famous Chicago Blues musicians include Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Willie Dixon. Chicago Blues is characterized by its use of amplified instruments and more band-oriented arrangements.
• Some of the earliest recorded blues musicians include W.C. Handy, who is often referred to as the father of the blues, and Blind Lemon Jefferson, who was one of the most popular blues musicians of the 1920s. . . .

Ted: Alright already—and I agree with all that. But let’s shift gears again.