12:00: AI song tops the charts; what does that mean for the future of music?
1:00: "Nuremberg:" film vs. history
A song that recently topped a country music chart is sparking debate. "Walk My Walk" by Breaking Rust was the number one song on Billboard's Country Digital Song Sales chart last week. If you haven't heard of Breaking Rust, you're not alone. It's an AI act, and "Walk My Walk" is an AI-generated song. Billboard has acknowledged that Breaking Rust is one of seven AI-driven acts to chart over the past two months. What does this mean for human artists and human-created songs? Should AI music be considered in the rankings? For many listeners, it's becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish between human and AI-generated content. This hour, we discuss what it all means for the future of the industry and our listening experience. Our guests:
- Sarah De Vallière, composer and singer-songwriter
- Jimmie Highsmith Jr., Grammy-nominated musician and CEO/managing partner of Xperience Live Music Group LLC
Then in our second hour, "Nuremberg" hit the big screen earlier this month. The film follows a U.S. Army psychologist and his showdown with an accused Nazi war criminal as the Nuremberg trials are about to begin. Friday marks 80 years since Supreme Court Justice Robert H. Jackson gave his opening statement at the trials. Experts say that statement still informs how we talk about justice. This hour, we're joined by experts from the Robert H. Jackson Center in Jamestown to discuss the enduring influence of Jackson's statement and if the film is true to history. Our guests:
- Kristan McMahon, president of the Robert H. Jackson Center
- Rolland Kidder, former executive director of the Robert H. Jackson Center
"Connections with Evan Dawson" is livestreamed each day on the WXXI News YouTube channel. Watch here.
