YouTube has introduced an experimental artificial intelligence (AI) tool called Dream Track that allows users to imitate the voices of popular artists such as Demi Lovato and John Legend. The tool allows users to create short songs by describing qualities like lyrical content and mood. Currently, only about 100 creators in the US have access to the tool, which can only be used to soundtrack videos on YouTube Shorts. The tool has been tested with artists like Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, T-Pain, and Sia, who have allowed their voices to be “cloned” by the software. YouTube released sample videos featuring imitations of Charlie Puth and T-Pain, which were passable but clearly inferior to the original voices.
The launch of Dream Track comes shortly after YouTube announced that it would alert viewers when they are watching a video made with AI. The company also stated that it would allow people to request the removal of videos that use AI to simulate an identifiable person. While Dream Track has the explicit approval of the artists involved, the use of AI in the creative industries remains a topic of debate. Many AI tools have been trained on copyrighted material, leading to lawsuits by authors such as Jonathan Franzen, Jodi Picoult, and George R. R. Martin. In April, Universal Music successfully petitioned streaming services to remove a song that used AI-generated vocals from their artists Drake and The Weeknd, citing copyright violations.
The head of Universal, Lucian Grainge, and the artists involved in Dream Track have expressed support for responsible AI development in the music industry. They believe that artists should be part of shaping the future of AI technology. Charli XCX stated that AI will transform the world and the music industry, and the experiment with Dream Track offers a small insight into the creative opportunities that could arise. T-Pain and Demi Lovato also emphasized the need for artists to be involved in shaping the future of AI.
In addition to Dream Track, Google also announced other AI music projects, including a tool that allows artists to hum a melody and have software create an instrumental based on it. The company also stated that AI content produced with these tools will be watermarked for disclosure.
Original news source: YouTube tests AI tool that clones pop stars’ voices (BBC)
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Group or Classroom Activities
Warm-up Activities:
– News Summary
Instructions: Have students read the article and then summarize the main points in their own words. Encourage them to include key details and important information. After they have finished writing their summaries, have them share with a partner or the whole class.
– Opinion Poll
Instructions: Divide the class into small groups and give each group a set of questions related to the article. The questions should be designed to elicit opinions and thoughts from the students. For example, “Do you think AI technology will have a positive or negative impact on the music industry?” Have the groups discuss and answer the questions, then have a class discussion where each group shares their opinions.
– Pros and Cons
Instructions: Divide the class into two groups: one group will list the pros of using AI technology in the music industry, and the other group will list the cons. Give each group time to brainstorm and write down their ideas. Then, have each group present their lists to the class, allowing for discussion and debate.
– Future Predictions
Instructions: Have students work individually or in pairs to brainstorm and write down their predictions for the future of AI in the music industry. They should consider how AI technology might continue to develop and impact artists and the creative process. After they have finished, have students share their predictions with the class and discuss the different ideas.
– Speed Summarizing
Instructions: Give each student a sentence or phrase from the article. They should take turns standing up and quickly summarizing the main idea or key details of the sentence or phrase. Encourage them to be concise and use their own words. This activity can be done as a whole class or in small groups.
Comprehension Questions:
1. What is the purpose of YouTube’s Dream Track tool?
2. How many creators in the US currently have access to the Dream Track tool?
3. Which artists have allowed their voices to be “cloned” by the Dream Track software?
4. How do the imitations created by the Dream Track tool compare to the original voices?
5. What recent announcement did YouTube make regarding videos made with AI?
6. How do artists like Lucian Grainge and Charli XCX feel about the use of AI in the music industry?
7. What other AI music projects did Google announce alongside Dream Track?
8. How will AI content produced with these tools be disclosed according to Google?
Go to answers ⇩
Listen and Fill in the Gaps:
YouTube has introduced an (1)______ artificial intelligence (AI) tool called Dream Track that allows users to imitate the voices of (2)______ artists such as Demi Lovato and John Legend. The tool allows users to create short songs by describing qualities like lyrical content and mood. Currently, only about 100 creators in the US have access to the tool, which can only be used to soundtrack videos on YouTube (3)______. The tool has been (4)______ with artists like Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, T-Pain, and Sia, who have allowed their voices to be “cloned” by the software. YouTube released sample videos featuring imitations of Charlie Puth and T-Pain, which were passable but clearly inferior to the original voices.
The (5)______ of Dream (6)______ comes shortly after YouTube announced that it would alert viewers when they are watching a video made with AI. The company also stated that it would allow people to (7)______ the removal of videos that use AI to simulate an identifiable person. While Dream Track has the explicit approval of the artists involved, the use of AI in the creative industries remains a topic of (8)______. Many AI tools have been trained on copyrighted material, leading to lawsuits by (9)______ such as Jonathan (10)______, Jodi Picoult, and George R. R. Martin. In April, Universal Music successfully petitioned streaming services to remove a song that used AI-generated vocals from their artists Drake and The Weeknd, citing copyright violations.
The head of Universal, Lucian Grainge, and the artists involved in (11)______ Track have expressed support for responsible AI development in the music industry. They believe that artists should be part of (12)______ the future of AI technology. Charli XCX stated that AI will transform the (13)______ and the music industry, and the experiment with Dream Track offers a small insight into the creative opportunities that could (14)______. T-Pain and Demi Lovato also emphasized the need for artists to be involved in shaping the future of AI.
In addition to Dream Track, Google also announced other AI music projects, including a tool that allows artists to hum a melody and have software (15)______ an instrumental based on it. The company also stated that AI content (16)______ with these tools will be watermarked for disclosure.
Go to answers ⇩
Discussion Questions:
Students can ask a partner these questions, or discuss them as a group.
1. What are your thoughts on YouTube’s introduction of the Dream Track AI tool?
2. How would you feel if someone used AI to imitate your voice without your permission?
3. Do you think the use of AI in the creative industries is a positive or negative development? Why or why not?
4. What do you think about the idea of artists being involved in shaping the future of AI technology?
5. How do you think AI will transform the music industry in the future?
6. Do you believe that AI-generated content should be labeled or watermarked for disclosure? Why or why not?
7. Have you ever used any AI tools or software to create music or art? If so, what was your experience like?
8. What are some potential ethical concerns or challenges that could arise from the use of AI in the creative industries?
9. How do you think AI could impact the careers of musicians and artists in the future?
10. Do you think the use of AI in music production will enhance or diminish the value of originality and creativity? Why or why not?
11. What are some potential benefits of using AI in the music industry?
12. How would you feel if you were an artist and someone used AI to clone your voice without your permission?
13. Do you think it’s important for AI tools to have the explicit approval of the artists involved? Why or why not?
14. Have you ever encountered any AI-generated content that you thought was indistinguishable from human-created content? If so, what was your reaction?
15. What are your predictions for the future of AI in the music industry?
Individual Activities
Vocabulary Meanings:
Match each word to its meaning.
Words:
1. artificial
2. voices
3. creators
4. software
5. launch
6. approval
7. industry
8. tool
Meanings:
(a) Programs and other operating information used by a computer
(b) People who make or produce something
(c) The act of starting or introducing something new
(d) Made or produced by human skill or labor
(e) Sounds made by a person when speaking or singing
(f) The business of producing and selling music
(g) A device or implement used to carry out a particular function
(h) Official permission or agreement
Go to answers ⇩
Multiple Choice Questions:
1. What is the name of the AI tool introduced by YouTube?
(a) Voice Imitator
(b) Dream Track
(c) AI Clone
(d) Music Generator
2. How many creators currently have access to the Dream Track tool?
(a) Thousands
(b) Only a select few
(c) None, it is not available yet
(d) About 100
3. Which artists have allowed their voices to be “cloned” by the Dream Track software?
(a) Demi Lovato, John Legend, Charlie Puth, and T-Pain
(b) Demi Lovato, John Legend, Charli XCX, and Troye Sivan
(c) Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, T-Pain, and Sia
(d) Sia, T-Pain, Charlie Puth, and John Legend
4. How do the imitations created by Dream Track compare to the original voices?
(a) Indistinguishable
(b) Better than the original
(c) About the same quality
(d) Clearly inferior
5. What did YouTube recently announce regarding videos made with AI?
(a) They will be removed from the platform
(b) Viewers will be alerted when watching them
(c) They will receive a special AI label
(d) They will be promoted more than other videos
6. Which authors have filed lawsuits over AI tools trained on copyrighted material?
(a) Jonathan Franzen, Jodi Picoult, and George R. R. Martin
(b) Demi Lovato, John Legend, and Charli XCX
(c) Drake, The Weeknd, and Lucian Grainge
(d) Troye Sivan, Sia, and T-Pain
7. Who believes that artists should be involved in shaping the future of AI technology?
(a) Lucian Grainge and the artists involved in Dream Track
(b) YouTube and Google
(c) Jonathan Franzen and Jodi Picoult
(d) Universal Music and streaming services
8. What other AI music projects did Google announce?
(a) A tool that generates lyrics based on keywords
(b) A tool that imitates the voices of popular artists
(c) A tool that creates instrumentals based on hummed melodies
(d) A tool that analyzes the mood of a song and suggests lyrics
Go to answers ⇩
True or False Questions:
1. The tool cannot be used to soundtrack videos on YouTube Shorts.
2. Universal Music successfully petitioned streaming services to remove a song that used AI-generated vocals from their artists Drake and The Weeknd, citing copyright violations.
3. Currently, only about 100 creators in the US have access to the Dream Track tool.
4. YouTube released sample videos featuring imitations of Charlie Puth and T-Pain, which were passable but clearly inferior to the original voices.
5. Artists like Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, T-Pain, and Sia have not allowed their voices to be “cloned” by the Dream Track software.
6. The tool does not allow users to create short songs by describing qualities like lyrical content and mood.
7. YouTube recently announced that it would not alert viewers when they are watching a video made with AI.
8. YouTube has introduced an experimental AI tool called Dream Track that allows users to imitate the voices of popular artists.
Go to answers ⇩
Write a Summary:
Write a summary of this news article in two sentences.
Writing Questions:
Answer the following questions. Write as much as you can for each answer.
1. What is the purpose of YouTube’s experimental AI tool called Dream Track?
2. How many creators in the US currently have access to Dream Track?
3. How do the imitations created by Dream Track compare to the original voices of the artists?
4. What recent announcement did YouTube make regarding videos made with AI?
5. What concerns have been raised about the use of AI in the creative industries?
Answers
Comprehension Question Answers:
1. The purpose of YouTube’s Dream Track tool is to allow users to imitate the voices of popular artists and create short songs.
2. Currently, only about 100 creators in the US have access to the Dream Track tool.
3. Artists like Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, T-Pain, and Sia have allowed their voices to be “cloned” by the Dream Track software.
4. The imitations created by the Dream Track tool are passable but clearly inferior to the original voices.
5. YouTube announced that it would alert viewers when they are watching a video made with AI and allow people to request the removal of videos that use AI to simulate an identifiable person.
6. Artists like Lucian Grainge and Charli XCX express support for responsible AI development in the music industry and believe that artists should be part of shaping the future of AI technology.
7. Google also announced other AI music projects, including a tool that allows artists to hum a melody and have software create an instrumental based on it.
8. AI content produced with these tools will be watermarked for disclosure, according to Google.
Go back to questions ⇧
Listen and Fill in the Gaps Answers:
(1) experimental
(2) popular
(3) Shorts
(4) tested
(5) launch
(6) Track
(7) request
(8) debate
(9) authors
(10) Franzen
(11) Dream
(12) shaping
(13) world
(14) arise
(15) create
(16) produced
Go back to questions ⇧
Vocabulary Meanings Answers:
1. artificial
Answer: (d) Made or produced by human skill or labor
2. voices
Answer: (e) Sounds made by a person when speaking or singing
3. creators
Answer: (b) People who make or produce something
4. software
Answer: (a) Programs and other operating information used by a computer
5. launch
Answer: (c) The act of starting or introducing something new
6. approval
Answer: (h) Official permission or agreement
7. industry
Answer: (f) The business of producing and selling music
8. tool
Answer: (g) A device or implement used to carry out a particular function
Go back to questions ⇧
Multiple Choice Answers:
1. What is the name of the AI tool introduced by YouTube?
Answer: (b) Dream Track
2. How many creators currently have access to the Dream Track tool?
Answer: (d) About 100
3. Which artists have allowed their voices to be “cloned” by the Dream Track software?
Answer: (c) Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, T-Pain, and Sia
4. How do the imitations created by Dream Track compare to the original voices?
Answer: (d) Clearly inferior
5. What did YouTube recently announce regarding videos made with AI?
Answer: (b) Viewers will be alerted when watching them
6. Which authors have filed lawsuits over AI tools trained on copyrighted material?
Answer: (a) Jonathan Franzen, Jodi Picoult, and George R. R. Martin
7. Who believes that artists should be involved in shaping the future of AI technology?
Answer: (a) Lucian Grainge and the artists involved in Dream Track
8. What other AI music projects did Google announce?
Answer: (c) A tool that creates instrumentals based on hummed melodies
Go back to questions ⇧
True or False Answers:
1. The tool cannot be used to soundtrack videos on YouTube Shorts. (Answer: False)
2. Universal Music successfully petitioned streaming services to remove a song that used AI-generated vocals from their artists Drake and The Weeknd, citing copyright violations. (Answer: True)
3. Currently, only about 100 creators in the US have access to the Dream Track tool. (Answer: True)
4. YouTube released sample videos featuring imitations of Charlie Puth and T-Pain, which were passable but clearly inferior to the original voices. (Answer: True)
5. Artists like Charli XCX, Troye Sivan, T-Pain, and Sia have not allowed their voices to be “cloned” by the Dream Track software. (Answer: False)
6. The tool does not allow users to create short songs by describing qualities like lyrical content and mood. (Answer: False)
7. YouTube recently announced that it would not alert viewers when they are watching a video made with AI. (Answer: False)
8. YouTube has introduced an experimental AI tool called Dream Track that allows users to imitate the voices of popular artists. (Answer: True)
Go back to questions ⇧
