How Google is making music with artificial intelligence

A musician improvises alongside A.I. Duet, software developed in part by Google's Magenta That's a question bordering on the philosophical, but artificial intelligence (AI) can certainly make music and artwork that people find pleasing. Last year, Google launched Magenta, a research project aimed at pushing the limits of what AI can do in the arts. Science spoke with Douglas Eck, the team's lead in San Francisco, California, about the past, present, and future of creative AI. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. Q: How does Magenta compose music?