The Future of Sound
RealmIQ's April El Sailon
"El Sailon: The Future of Sound" was a thought-provoking salon hosted by Curt Doty, exploring the intersection of AI and music, creativity, ethics, and law. The event tackled the rise of AI-generated music and sound, the creative opportunities and ethical dilemmas it presents, and the legal implications around copyright and market substitution. Key contributors included legal expert Peter Csathy, AI voice tech entrepreneur Alex Serdiuk, ethicist Tim El-Sheikh, and avant-garde composer Brooks Williams.
The conversation spanned AI’s impact on the fast food industry, the Studio Ghibli style controversy, and OpenAI’s shift to a for-profit model. The heart of the night centered around how AI affects musicianship, intellectual property, and originality — and how creatives like Brooks are experimenting with it ethically, even as industry giants exploit it with little oversight.
Brooks shared his technology and AI journey, outlining his workflow for his Avant Garde compositions. His music is available here.
Thanks to Kerry Young at Boxcar. Eric Renz-Whitmore for continuing to support this lecture series and to the City of Santa Fe Office of Economic Development, Hutton Broadcasting, and Daniel Quat Photography for their support. Shout outs to KBAC DJs Chris D. and Honey Harris for the interviews and live remote broadcast.
Topics Covered
OpenAI’s for-profit shift and legal implications
Studio Ghibli AI style cloning controversy
AI’s intrusion into fast food, music, and culture
Legal battles over AI-generated music (e.g., Universal Music vs. Anthropic)
Market substitution and fair use in U.S. law
AI voice cloning and ethics (e.g., Respeecher, Vocal Roots AI)
Resurrection of artists through AI with consent (e.g., Mr. Badass via Respeecher)
Brooks Williams’ creative use of AI in avant-garde music
Copyright fears from musicians
AI's limitations with harmony, soul, and human nuance
U.K. copyright rollback concerns and VC influence
AI etiquette and ethical licensing frameworks
Quotes
“The human experience cannot be replicated by a machine.”
— Peter Csathy
“It’s not about the precision… it’s the fallibility of human beings that makes creativity unique.”
— Peter Csathy, referencing Rick Rubin
“AI is eating itself creatively.”
— Curt Doty
“You cannot use Respeecher’s technology without permission from the voice owner. That’s our foundation.”
— Alex Serdiuk, Respeecher
“My goal is to make something that sounds like me — something that I would do.”
— Brooks Williams
“AI is just an expression of our collective intelligence… TikTok is a synapse in the global brain.”
— Brooks Williams
“It’s creatives like you that will push this technology forward, not back.”
— Curt Doty, to Brooks Williams
“If it’s anybody who could bring me back, it’s you.”
— Mr. Bad Azz, to Frank Nitty in a dream
“The VC class is trying to convince governments that copyright is the problem — it’s not.”
— Tim El-Sheikh
Watch excerpts from the lecture here.
Curt shared a music video he created and described the workflow: Midjourney>>Runway>>ChatGPT>>Udio>>Opus Clips.
AI Roundup
Wendy’s Use of AI for Drive-Thru Orders: Is AI the Future of Fast Food?
This innovation goes beyond convenience and aims to enhance the ordering experience by reducing errors, streamlining service, and personalizing interactions. With Artificial Intelligence (AI) handling more of the process, fast-food chains can serve customers more efficiently than ever. As AI becomes more integrated into the industry, it is reshaping the way orders are placed and processed. I call it Fast and Foodius!
Genies unveils user-generated content tools that let anyone create custom AI avatars
Genies raised $150 million in 2022, and it has been busy ever since building out the tech stack for what it calls Parties, or gaming platforms driven by AI avatars, user-generated content, and personalized gameplay. Avatars are the future. Learn as much as you can now.
AI is Rapidly Reshaping Brand Connectivity and Marketing
Over the past three decades, the advertising and marketing industry has undergone a profound transformation, largely driven by advancements in artificial intelligence. Gone are the days of manually analyzing consumer data to crafting campaigns based on intuition; marketing has evolved into a highly sophisticated, data-driven discipline. AI has reshaped how brands connect with consumers, optimize performance, and measure success. It's imperative for business leaders to understand AI's impact and ensure their investments align with broader marketing objectives. Watch this space.
“Adobe has a long history of working closely with CMOs, CIOs and their organizations to drive impactful customer experiences that are anchored in reliable and real-time experience insights,” said Anjul Bhambhri, senior vice president of engineering, Adobe Experience Cloud. “Agentic AI is a major leap forward that will accelerate workplace transformation. Adobe’s latest innovations will drive productivity gains for practitioners to free up time for creative ideation, while unlocking capacity for marketers to scale personalization through purpose-built AI agents.”
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I am Speaking
Join PRSA New Mexico for a future-forward virtual panel discussion exploring the dynamic relationship between AI and public relations. Moderated by Leah Messina, CEO of Sinuate Media, this session brings together two powerhouse voices who are redefining the role of technology in communications:
Curt Doty and Hailey Wilson.
What You’ll Learn:
How AI is reshaping the PR toolkit—from media monitoring to crisis detection
Real-world use cases for AI in high-pressure, high-stakes communications
The ethical and strategic frameworks needed for responsible AI adoption
How to position yourself—and your organization—for the future of comms
Whether you’re a PR veteran, strategist, agency leader, or just curious about what AI means for your work, this is your chance to learn from leaders who are pioneering the next chapter in public relations.
Save the date: April 24, 2025 at 2pm - 3pm MDT. This is one panel you don’t want to miss. Register Here.