Academic pursuits in the study of music: Reflections on artificial intelligence

Abstract

This article explores current and emerging trends in the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the academic study of music amidst the ever-changing technologies. Through the technology determinism theory, technology-mediated learning, and unified theory of acceptance and use of technology the researcher engaged a qualitative research to examine the experiences of 10 lecturers and 40 students randomly sampled from Great Zimbabwe University (GZU), Midlands State University (MSU) and the University of Zimbabwe (UZ) on how they engaged in teaching, learning and research using AI. The fourth industrial revolution (4IR) brought novel ways of teaching-learning and research. Different AI has disrupted traditional models of education. Education now rides on AI hence the need to embrace them. There are AI resources to detect plagiarism, find answers to essay questions, provide meanings to terms, referencing systems to sources of information, analyse data, engage in music programming, mixing and mastering of music. Lecturers used Bard, Bing AI, ChatGPT, Gemini, Google Scholar, and WhatsApp to engage in teaching. Students used AI to write assignments, and acquire knowledge in teaching-learning and research. Some institutions have a dilemma in accepting AI resources. The research informs that AI resources are both useful and destructive however, mature academics capitalise on the positive aspects of AI in the academic study of music. The involvement of humans in AI guarantees to verification of ideas, support to knowledge acquisition, and reinforcement of key concepts.