What role should generative AI technology play in music? Long before recent advances, similar questions have been pondered without definitive answers. We argue that the true potential of generative AI lies in cultivating musical discovery, expanding our individual and collective musical horizons. We outline a vision for systems that nurture human creativity, learning, and community. To contend with the richness of music in such contexts, we believe machines will need a kind of musical common sense comprising structural, emotional, and sociocultural factors. Such capabilities characterize human intuitive musicality, but go beyond what current techniques or datasets address. We discuss possible models and strategies for developing new discoveryfocused musical tools, drawing on past and ongoing work in our research group ranging from the individual to the community scale. We present this article as an invitation to collectively explore the exciting frontier of AI for musical discovery.
IntroductionMusic has been a wondrous laboratory for creativity, learning, and community 1 throughout human history.Despite this enduring influence, music's form is anything but static: each era and culture develops distinct musical forms shaped by their values, sociopolitical contexts, intricate structural logics, and personal narratives. When technology is thoughtfully leveraged, it can profoundly magnify music's reach and widen creative participation. Advances in recording, computing, and networking over the last century have underscored this potential.Similar in spirit to all technologies, generative AI technology offers the potential to advance music broadly. This particular techology offers some exciting and important novel avenues for doing that which we outline here. Yet, as these systems advance, we must deliberate on the objectives behind their musical applications.Rather than merely imitating past conventions, how might AI push boundaries and reveal new insights? What novel interfaces could enable more people to develop musical abilities? Broadly, how can we apply these technologies to enrich human music-making? With care, we believe AI can inspire and amplify creativity rather than constrain it. This article argues that the primary aim for generative AI technology in music should be to nurture human creativity, learning, and community across all skill levels. We propose musical discovery as a guiding conceptencompassing not just novel artifacts, but fresh perspectives that deepen understanding and broaden