Chainsaw Man’s main composer, Kensuke Ushio, expressed his vision of AI and human interaction through a song featured on the anime’s actual soundtrack.
A post by user Man. As stated in the documentary, Sony Computer Science Laboratories (Sony CSL) developed the AI engine ‘ChainsawGAN’ with Ushio specifically for the series’ soundtrack. Interviews with Ushio and Sony CSL’s Javier Nistal explore how ChainsawGAN works and its future potential. You can watch the short version of the documentary below, along with “Chainsaw Attack!” by Ushio! the song features elements transformed by AI.
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The chainsaw sound effect heard in the video is simulated from a typical knocking sound. ChainsawGAN can take a variety of sounds and create “dimensions” to transform them, creating different spectra from which the sounds can emanate. One example is switching from the sound of a kick drum to the sound of a chainsaw. Ushio said he wanted to capture the ‘messy’ feel of Chainsaw Man and that AI could help him achieve creativity that he might not have thought of on his own. “So I proposed to let ChainsawGAN learn chainsaw sounds on behalf of humans because it can fill in any gaps in the melody that humans can’t come up with,” Ushio said. I’ll remove the drum sound and convert it to track data. ‘Ta-tatto-ta-tatto-ta-ta-ta-ta-to,’ right? I’m converting it into notes that appear like this as soon as I hit the drums this way.” He then fed the musical notes into ChainsawGAN, creating the sound heard above.
As a leading composer in the anime industry—creator of the soundtracks to Heavenly Delusion, Devilman Crybaby, A Silent Voice, and the upcoming anime adaptation Dandadan—Ushio’s views on AI are endless. important. ChainsawGAN does not appear to have the ability to check whether audio was obtained legally, and Ushio says that the question of ‘rights’ to audio and creativity must first be separated. He makes the argument that anyone who hears something can explore the creativity that flows from it. Ultimately, he argues, what needs to be judged is “the composer’s creativity on display.” He envisions a space where everyone has access to the sounds they hear in their heads or the inspiration that arises from hearing sounds; It is how these are put together that counts.
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Naturally, the use of AI is an extremely polarizing topic in anime and in general, especially in the field of art. Not only can it be used to discredit completely original works, like the controversy Slayers mangaka Rui Araizumi endured earlier this year over accusations of AI art, but voice actors Yuki Kaji (Eren, Attack on Titan) has also said that the AI that copied his voice walked away. on the efforts of everyone involved in the work. Furthermore, as exploitative work schedules come to light in the anime industry – highlighted by the recent MAPPA scandals – the use of AI is increasingly seen as a way to solve these problems. system, with the increased threat of lower levels of job security. It remains to be seen whether Ushio’s vision of AI, allowing unlimited creativity, will actually come to fruition.
Source: Sony CSL (Paris) via YouTube and @kles7_ on X