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MUSIC / AI
AI MUSIC PRODUCES STRONGER EMOTIONS THAN
MUSIC COMPOSED BY HUMANS
from the desk of Joseph Patrick Jakubal
A recent study suggests that AI generated music could actually make
people feel "more intense emotions" than music created by human composers.
Researchers found that when participants watched short films with
AI made soundtracks, their physiological responses indicated stronger emotional reactions compared
to films scored by humans.
The study, led by Nikolaj Fiser from Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona (UAB), involved 88 volunteers
who watched the same clips while their eye movements and skin responses were tracked.
Even though participants did not always consciously report feeling more
emotional, their bodies reacted more strongly to AI produced music.
AI music tools, like Suno and Stable Audio, are becoming more popular because they allow users to
quickly generate full songs based on simple prompts. These platforms let people specify mood, tempo,
and instruments, making them useful for social media creators and filmmakers. Some experts
predict the AI music market could grow to over $3 billion by 2028.
The researchers compared three types of music ... 1) human-made film scores, 2) AI-generated tracks (with
detailed prompts), and 3) simpler AI tracks based only on "emotional cues". The results showed that AI
music led to "wider pupil dilation" (a sign of emotional arousal) and "higher galvanic skin
responses" (indicating cognitive effort), even though participants did not always notice these
changes.
Interestingly, participants still rated the "human composed" music as more
familiar, even though they had never heard it before. This suggests that listeners are used to
certain musical patterns in film scores, making "AI generated" tracks seem more novel. Novelty
itself might explain why AI music triggered stronger attention and emotional responses.
There are practical benefits to using AI music ... it is faster and
cheaper to produce, which is useful for "small budget" projects.
However, there are ethical concerns too, like whether listeners should
know when music is "AI generated" ... or if AI models are unfairly using copyrighted songs for training.
Some experts suggest labeling "AI produced" tracks, especially in sensitive contexts like kids'
content.
For now, it seems AI music is not just filling gaps ... it might actually
be hitting listeners harder emotionally than traditional scores. The study was published
in *PLOS One*, and it raises big questions about how AI will shape music, media, and even our
emotions in the future.
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