A Modern Tribute to Dire Straits – AI Creates an Original Track with Knopfler’s

[Chris W]

Exactly, it’s inevitable, you either adapt or not. It’s like Dylan going electric or no line judges in tennis. We may discuss if it’s good or bad, right or wrong, but it’s happening either way. As a guitarist I still prefer my amps and pedals but when you see Dan Huff using plugins and recording direct it makes you scratch your head and think.

Millions of jobs in all aspects of society are going to go. Get back to me when most of the people you know are unemployed and struggling financially.

[Chris W]

I am no AI expert so please correct me if I'm wrong, but from what I learned then no, you can not create MK music without having a MK first.

They have 100 years of popular music to train AI on. They don't need any new song writers. They have hours and hours of Mark Knopfler material to train AI to replicate MK. My point about Mark is not specifically about Mark. It was metaphor. When 'Sultans Of Swing' was released was a complete outlier - in a music scene dominated by Disco and Punk. It's correct, AI can't invent innovative songs or new genres. And that's the exact problem. If AI dominates in music commerce (streaming, Youtube etc), no innovative artist will ever reach an audience big enough to play more than a couple of shows, before they run out of money and give up.

[dustyvalentino]

Really sorry about your job Elin. Won't make your situation any better but I'm sure it has already happened to lots of people and will continue to happen more in the future.

On the guitar point raised by Eddie Fox, I've gone fully ampless and couldn't be happier. So much easier not having to lug amps and with IEM's I have a much better idea of sound balance. Does it sound "worse"? Maybe. Does ANYONE listening care? Nope.

[Chris W]

In my 40 years of experience, musicians have always been enthusiastic about technology and new equipment.
my point is more about thematic fans and less about us musicians. Fans on forums consistently complain about the quality of modern music - for example the Spotify Top 40.
That's because outliers are difficult to deal with. People like Mark Knopfler are difficult to control. They release music that scares the executives, they don't want their music used to advertise cr@p. AI is 100% controllable.
Tech wants to replace human made music with AI music.
If music commerce is closed off to humans, then it is very difficult to make a record, start a band, or play some shows.
People who think artists will always play live are incredibly naive. Where is the next generation going to get the funding to play live - keep a band together, rehearse, travel, pay their day to day bills etc.

[rmarques821]

Exactly, it’s inevitable, you either adapt or not. It’s like Dylan going electric or no line judges in tennis. We may discuss if it’s good or bad, right or wrong, but it’s happening either way. As a guitarist I still prefer my amps and pedals but when you see Dan Huff using plugins and recording direct it makes you scratch your head and think.

Millions of jobs in all aspects of society are going to go. Get back to me when most of the people you know are unemployed and struggling financially.

I prefer to get back to you right now and tell you you're just spitting more doomsday rubbish.
Yes, millions of jobs are going to go and millions of other new jobs will come, as it has been for thousands of years with technological progress. As with other species, humans can cry and moan or they can adapt to the changing of the times and find ways to be valuable.

[Chris W]

I prefer to get back to you right now and tell you you're just spitting more doomsday rubbish.
Yes, millions of jobs are going to go and millions of other new jobs will come, as it has been for thousands of years with technological progress.

1) You can't adapt to being fully replaced can you.
2) I'm just forwarding what leading economists say about AI and robotics. They say millions of jobs are going to become obsolete and there is no plan to support those millions of unemployed people. The goal is to cut costs using technology, so you aren't cutting any costs if you find new jobs for the unemployed. you are just shifting those employment costs to another employer - which ain't going to happen.
'Humans won't be needed for most things':
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/26/bill-gates-on-ai-humans-wont-be-needed-for-most-things.html

[Chris W]

Exactly, it’s inevitable, you either adapt or not.

It's funny. You aren't willing to adapt to DS tribute bands, but are defending AI in the creative arts.

[rmarques821]

I prefer to get back to you right now and tell you you're just spitting more doomsday rubbish.
Yes, millions of jobs are going to go and millions of other new jobs will come, as it has been for thousands of years with technological progress.

1) You can't adapt to being fully replaced can you.
2) I'm just forwarding what leading economists say about AI and robotics. They say millions of jobs are going to become obsolete and there is no plan to support those millions of unemployed people. The goal is to cut costs using technology, so you aren't cutting any costs if you find new jobs for the unemployed. you are just shifting those employment costs to another employer - which ain't going to happen.
'Humans won't be needed for most things':
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/26/bill-gates-on-ai-humans-wont-be-needed-for-most-things.html

No, you are just forwarding what the leading economists that think like you say. The economists that don't think like you understand that new jobs will replace ones that became obsolete (data scientists, AI engineers, etc...)

And honestly, a Bill Gates quote? 
That man could fill an entire book with his ridiculous predictions

[dustyvalentino]

People like Mark Knopfler are difficult to control. They release music that scares the executives, they don't want their music used to advertise cr@p.

And yet, Walk of Life is currently being used on British Gas adverts, ha!

[Chris W]

OK 
If you google the subject there are thousands of reports from all kinds of think tanks, universities, economists etc all agreeing:
https://www.nexford.edu/insights/how-will-ai-affect-jobs

Sorry, but if you don't mind I'll respect a widely held EXPERT opinion over some guy on a Mark Knopfler forum.
But Ok, if I indulge the idea that people replaced by AI will find other jobs, what valuable job do you expert a great songwriter to do after they are replaced by AI. Waiter, vegetable picker, hospital orderly?

[Chris W]

People like Mark Knopfler are difficult to control. They release music that scares the executives, they don't want their music used to advertise cr@p.

And yet, Walk of Life is currently being used on British Gas adverts, ha!

I know. You'll see I was talking in general terms about not being able to control great artists, especially when they are younger, at the height of their careers. Many times 'legacy' artists at the end of their careers have given in to business interests.

[rmarques821]

People like Mark Knopfler are difficult to control. They release music that scares the executives, they don't want their music used to advertise cr@p. AI is 100% controllable.

How can you say something like that? Mark's music has been used for advertising for 40 years, and is still used nowadays in ads in the UK (at least).

[rmarques821]

OK 
If you google the subject there are thousands of reports from all kinds of think tanks, universities, economists etc all agreeing:
https://www.nexford.edu/insights/how-will-ai-affect-jobs

Sorry, but if you don't mind I'll respect a widely held EXPERT opinion over some guy on a Mark Knopfler forum.
But Ok, if I indulge the idea that people replaced by AI will find other jobs, what valuable job do you expert a great songwriter to do after they are replaced by AI. Waiter, vegetable picker, hospital orderly?

No, they are not all agreeing, obviously. You are just reading the reports that come to the conclusion you want.

If you read the literature review of the OECD, they even quote the ILO, which is not an organisation suspect of thretening labor rights and stability, where they conclude that there will likely be a net-zero effect on job loss. Read it: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2021/01/the-impact-of-artificial-intelligence-on-the-labour-market_a4b9cac2/7c895724-en.pdf

As with other past situations on this forum, talking to you is like talking to a brick wall. But in this topic you clearly have no expertise (no reasonably knowledgeable person in Economics would ever care what Bill Gates says in 2025, or send some article from a random online university in New York no one's ever heard of), so I just stop replying now.

[dustyvalentino]

People like Mark Knopfler are difficult to control. They release music that scares the executives, they don't want their music used to advertise cr@p.

And yet, Walk of Life is currently being used on British Gas adverts, ha!

I know. You'll see I was talking in general terms about not being able to control great artists, especially when they are younger, at the height of their careers. Many times 'legacy' artists at the end of their careers have given in to business interests.

Yeah I know, I was just having fun. And I have no problem with it. MK or any of these guys should absolutely take the money and run.

[wayaman]

Regarding culture, there would be always people interested in real music, real books, real movies etc, AI would be a tool, more useful in some works like medicine, investigation etc, probably it would replace many mechanical or administrative works, but many others would survive.

It's been the same since industrial development, many works disappear and are substituted, people reinvent themselves.

A drummer always would have work as there would be always people who would want a real drummer. People thinking in substitute a real drummer for AI, won't hire a drummer anyway. There would be less work? Yes, but there would be work if you are good enough to be called from those who still want the real thing.

And despite AI develop, a real creative genius would be always better than AI, and there would be always someone who would appreciate that.