AI as a Partner, Not a Competitor: A Personal Journey
Some people might still remember me as a guitarist writing love songs — that was a long time ago. Later, I composed operas, created immersive sound environments, and experimented with voice, electronics, and space. So it might seem surprising that I now work with artificial intelligence. I understand that. Technology — especially AI — often feels like the opposite of emotion, art, humanity. For many, it’s not just abstract, but threatening.
What interests me about technology is not what it replaces, but what it makes possible. Even in my earlier stage works, I used new technologies as tools to expand classical forms — with electroacoustic amplification, immersive sound, augmented reality, and hybrid modes of expression. It was always about opening up new artistic spaces.
Now, with recent advances in AI, that question arises again — more urgently than ever. It’s no longer enough to focus solely on one’s own work. We need to think about how technology can become a partner, not a rival. AI is reshaping the conditions under which art is made. We should help shape how that happens.
CORPUS: Artists at the Core
This is exactly what we aim to do with CORPUS. The project is about building a system where musicians consciously contribute their work to a training database for AI — and are fairly compensated for it. CORPUS turns artists into active participants in value creation, not bystanders. Only when AI is trained on legal, ethical, and high-quality foundations can it truly become productive for the arts.
What’s at Stake
The fear that AI could take away our art — or even our “soul” — is real. But technology is something we can shape. In film and games, we’re already seeing how AI speeds things up, changes workflows — and also opens up new creative possibilities. In music, we’re just at the beginning. If we build the right structures, AI won’t just optimize processes — it will enable new forms of expression.
Engaging with Complexity Productively
The project CORPUS, which I initiated, aims to enable a responsible approach to AI. It’s not about resisting progress, but about shaping it with humans at the center. We need to preserve the humanity of art while also exploring new tools. Fear won’t help us — only a clear and self-determined approach will.
A Collective Project for the Future
I’ve experienced a few technological upheavals — especially the shift from analog to digital in music and film production. Every innovation changed how we work — sometimes painfully, but often in ways that enriched us. The complexity of AI runs deeper: it affects not just sound and production, but also authorship, copyright, and economic structures.
I see CORPUS as a concrete opportunity. A way for artists and AI to create something new together — as equals, with respect and a clear ethical framework. So that art can remain what it has always been: a human practice.
Learn more: https://crps.ai
CORPUS Journal: https://journal.crps.ai
