Nobody owns this...

So I was about to go to bed when I saw this interesting post from my friend. He had asked ChatGPT to write lyrics to a song about the challenges faced breaking into the cybersecurity industry. His post is here. He then took the output from that interaction and used it as custom lyrics for a song generated by an AI hosted on suno.ai. The Suno website displays this on their "about" page:

Team

We are a team of musicians and artificial intelligence experts based in Cambridge, MA. We are proud alumni of pioneering tech companies like Meta, TikTok and Kensho, where our founding team worked together before starting Suno.

We like to ship code, make music and drink coffee. Our company culture is all about music and experimenting with sound — from lunchroom conversations to the studio in our office. If you're any of these things or nothing of the sort, we'd love to hear from you.

[email protected]

So being the eternally curious person that I am (and having about 15 minutes before going to bed tonight), I gave it a whirl and tacked on my own recently discovered (via another colleague) AI tool that makes videos out of audio (or text or videos) called Hypernatural.ai

The Journey of New York City: a GenAI experiment

So I'll keep the original ChatGPT prompt that I used a secret, since I think it's more fun that way if you want to try to recreate something similar (or entirely different, which is the point for many of these tools). The sequence is as follows:

• ask ChatGPT to write the lyrics to a song that is about [fill in the blank]
• copy those lyrics into suno.ai using "Custom" mode to create a song, selecting a style for the music. It will generate two variations for you (and use up 10 of your 50 free credits)
• download that song as audio and upload it into hypernatural.ai, selecting a style for the generated images that you want and the aspect ratio of your eventual social media sharing (I picked "dunno" which gives me widescreen output/download)

The Suno credits limited the song to 1 minute and 20 seconds, but I'm pretty sure that it would have done a nice job with the rest of the verses that ChatGPT had assembled for me based on my prompt.

The finished product... nobody owns. Copyright doesn't really have much to say about this whole genAI thing because you cannot copyright an idea, which is essentially the text that goes into the prompt. And through a series of transformations (albeit with a couple of editorial choices for style here and there) the performance is created. But there is no human agent that performed the singing, arranged the music or recorded the instruments like bass and drums and keyboards. It would be like saying that some chunk of code that enables us to save an MSWord document as a PDF has some kind of intellectual property claim to the PDF. It doesn't make sense, right?

I guess it's true that technically I could use a musical notation program to capture the melody and chords/music from the downloaded recording and then submit it to ASCAP as my creation. But it's not clear to me who is the music creator and who "owns" what are called the mechanical rights for this recording. It's a fascinating lack of accountability/intent/agency going on in these "black box" transformations of content (visual, audio, code, etc).

Taking it one step further, I could maybe lobby some TV producer to select this song/experiment of mine as the soundtrack/theme for a TV show about a mother living in New York City and make the proverbial "beaucoup bucks," right? ;-)

Here is the final product... enjoy!

Complete lyrics for "The Journey of New York City"

(Verse 1)

In the heart of the city where the buildings touch the sky,

I'm a mom of two, under the city lights we fly.

From school to camp, it's a daily race,

Extracurricular whirlwinds, life at a fast pace.

(Pre-Chorus)

In the concrete jungle, where dreams are born,

I'm a momma lion, feeling a bit worn.

From soccer to ballet, and PTA meetings too,

Every day's an adventure, with so much to do.

(Chorus)

Oh, the city life, with its hustle and its strife,

Two little hearts, the center of my life.

Summer camps and school plays, a never-ending show,

In this urban jungle, we continue to grow.

(Verse 2)

On the subway rides, we chase the setting sun,

Homework in one hand, in the other, a little one.

Central Park picnics, with laughter in the air,

But sometimes, my heart feels the weight of the care.

(Pre-Chorus)

In the midst of skyscrapers, where dreams unfold,

I'm a mom on a journey, both tender and bold.

From museums to playdates, the calendar's a maze,

But these moments, I'll cherish, through the hectic days.

(Chorus)

Oh, the city life, with its hustle and its strife,

Two little stars, illuminating my life.

From summer camps to school events, a whirlwind we ride,

In this vibrant city, we find joy side by side.

(Bridge)

Late nights and early mornings, the city that never sleeps,

In the chaos, love's rhythm, my heart always keeps.

With every ballet recital and science fair,

I find strength in the love we all share.

(Verse 3)

Times Square may dazzle, but it's bedtime I crave,

In this urban adventure, love's the treasure we save.

Through the noise and the crowds, and the subway's hum,

I'm a mom on a journey, guided by love.

(Chorus)

Oh, the city life, with its hustle and its strife,

Two little gems, the joy in my life.

From summer camps to school events, a journey we stride,

In this pulsing city, love will be our guide.

Next Step... an opera!

Before I closed the browser window on the ChatGPT prompt, I provided a follow up instruction: make it into an opera libretto

Which ChatGPT dutifully accepted and returned the following (which I'd put into OpenAI's "Sora" if I had early access, but alas do not.

(Act I)

Scene 1: The Cityscape

[The curtain rises to reveal the bustling streets of New York City. The protagonist, a mother of two, stands center stage, surrounded by towering skyscrapers. The city soundscape provides a lively backdrop.]

Mother:

In the heart of this metropolis, where dreams ascend so high,

I navigate the urban maze, beneath the sprawling sky.

Two children by my side, in this city they explore,

From school to camps, our days, a never-ending lore.

Chorus of City Voices:

New York, the city that never sleeps,

A symphony of dreams, in its rhythm, it keeps.

From Central Park to Broadway's dazzling light,

Our journey unfolds in this urban flight.

(Recitative)

Scene 2: The Daily Race

[Mother, surrounded by the chaos of the city, juggles schedules, bags, and the constant movement.]

Mother:

From ballet to soccer, a daily marathon,

Extracurricular threads, a web we've spun.

In this whirlwind of life, we dance and we strive,

A race against time, in this city alive.

Chorus of City Voices:

On subways we ride, through the neon glow,

In this city of dreams, our love continues to grow.

Through the maze of buildings, we find our way,

In this opera of life, each note we play.

(Act II)

Scene 1: Overwhelmed

[Mother, alone in a quiet moment, reflects on the overwhelming nature of her responsibilities.]

Mother:

Amidst the skyscrapers, where dreams unfold,

I'm a soloist, in a story untold.

The weight of schedules, a burden to bear,

In this urban sonnet, I find solace in prayer.

Aria: "In the Midst of Chaos"

[The mother expresses her feelings through a powerful aria.]

Mother (singing):

In the midst of chaos, I find my reprieve,

A moment to breathe, to believe.

The city's crescendo, a relentless stream,

Yet love's melody remains my guiding beam.

(Act III)

Scene 1: Central Park Serenade

[Mother and children enjoy a serene moment in Central Park, surrounded by nature.]

Chorus of City Voices:

Beneath the city's canopy, in Central Park's embrace,

A serenade of laughter, a momentary grace.

Through the green oasis, love finds its way,

In this opera of life, a harmonious ballet.

Scene 2: Resilience and Love

[The family faces challenges but overcomes them through love and resilience.]

Mother:

Late nights and early mornings, in this city so bold,

Resilience and love, more precious than gold.

Through science fairs and bedtime tales,

In this urban journey, love prevails.

Finale: "Love's Overture"

[The opera concludes with a grand finale, celebrating the resilience and love that bind the family together in the heart of New York City.]

Chorus (singing):

Love's overture, in this urban tale,

Through chaos and joy, we set sail.

In the city's embrace, we find our way,

An opera of love, forever to stay.