We hear about artificial intelligence and its benefits every day, but now we see AI being put to work for an unconventional purpose. Deutsche Telekom uses AI to complete Beethoven's Tenth Symphony almost 200 years later.
Ludwig van Beethoven, one of the greatest composers of classical music, could never complete the Tenth Symphony. At the time of his death, only a few sketches had been made, but no part of the composition had been completed. As 2020 marks the 250th anniversary of the artist's birth, Deutsche Telekom has embarked on a unique project: bringing together international music and AI experts who have used artificial intelligence to create a possible version of the 10th Symphony. .
You can listen to what came out below, in the form of a one-minute teaser:
This project is designed to answer the big question: can algorithms be creative? I've seen AIs write poems, have their own Twitter accounts and even become social media influencers. The full version of the symphony will be available at the Telekon Forum in Bonn in October this year.
What you heard above is a sequence performed by the Beethoven Orchestra Bonn under the direction of conductor Dirk Kaftan, with Cameron Carpenter on organ. Artificial intelligence was "fed" with Beethoven's compositions, as well as his notes on the 10th Symphony. He was also offered works by composers and musicians who inspired and influenced Beethoven during his lifetime, such as Johann Sebastian Bach.
In recent years, I have seen AI create Nirvana or even Queen songs after compiling all the songs of those legendary bands that have lost their soloists. However, it is difficult to bring human creativity and emotion into the equation, at least in the current stage.