Teaching AI use in music for intercultural perspectives

When I first brought artificial intelligence composition tools into my music courses, I noticed an immediate divide. Some students embraced every AI-generated output without question; others resisted the technology entirely, fearing it would undermine their own creative process. 

I found guidance on navigating this from philosopher Martin Heidegger’s research about thinking of our relationship with technology through the paired ideas of Gelassenheit (releasement or relaxedness) and Offenheit (openness). Gelassenheit encourages us to resist being dominated by tech tools – to hold them lightly and with a critical eye. Offenheit invites us to remain open to the possibilities that new technologies can offer. Together, these ideas suggest a balanced stance: neither rejecting technologies such as AI nor embracing them unconditionally. The middle road is engaging with them thoughtfully, preserving space for human creativity, interpretation and reflection. 

As a music education professor, I face this tension between nurturing the creativity of my students and introducing them to rapidly evolving AI tools. My students are future music teachers – who will shape classrooms themselves – so my responsibility is to prepare them not just to use AI but to think critically about it.

Thoughtfully incorporate AI tools

In alignment with Heidegger’s research, I incorporate human-centred AI as part of my teaching process. Critically, human judgement – autonomy, dignity, creativity and professional discretion – must remain at the core. AI should augment reasoning and ethical decision-making, not replace it. As part of this, I ask students to evaluate AI outputs, reshaping and integrating them rather than accepting them automatically. For example, when generating compositions, they quickly notice biases: Western musical patterns often dominate AI outputs. Human discernment is essential to maintain artistic and cultural integrity.

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The tools themselves are evolving rapidly. Three years ago, only a handful of AI programs existed; today, there are countless options, some capable of analysing chord progressions in seconds – a process that once took hours. I encourage students to experiment, discuss limitations and contribute ideas for integrating AI creatively into classrooms. By giving them agency, I aim to cultivate AI literacy: the ability to understand what AI can and cannot do, apply it strategically and transform its outputs thoughtfully.

Leveraging AI for intercultural perspectives

Intercultural perspectives are another dimension. AI tools can approximate intercultural experiences to varying degrees; virtual museum tours and access to global instruments, for example, might help students broaden their horizons, although these tools are far from authentic. Using AI music-generation tools with students is one way to explore these limitations. Students can prompt AI to create a melody inspired by the Korean traditional pentatonic scale or a melody influenced by Indian raga style. By comparing the generated music with the original, and analysing the results, students can discuss how closely the AI output reflects cultural elements, which elements seem representative, which appear less so, and whether the cultural characteristics are meaningfully represented. Through this process, students not only explore diverse musical traditions but also develop critical awareness of the strengths and limitations of AI in representing intercultural musical perspectives.

In addition to GenAI tools for composition, new musical applications combining virtual reality (VR) and AI are emerging, allowing users to play virtual instruments from different cultures. Future music educators are encouraged to experiment with AI tools and design lesson plans that incorporate AI in their teaching. At the same time, when incorporating AI tools into intercultural learning, future music teachers should emphasise cultural appreciation – that is, understanding the historical and cultural context of musical traditions – rather than cultural appropriation, which involves using elements from another culture without understanding or respecting their meaning. 

The goal is not simply exposure, although that alone carries some benefit, but to cultivate curiosity, respect and thoughtful engagement with the cultural stories behind the music. This can be quite powerful.

Advice for higher education professionals

For colleagues in higher education, my advice is straightforward: approach AI with curiosity, not fear. Encourage experimentation, then cultivate reflection. Show students that AI can be a partner; it’s not an expert but an assistant or collaborator, one that can expand imagination. The goal is not merely to produce students who can operate AI tools, but educators who can guide the next generation, navigating technological possibilities while preserving the human aspects of teaching and creativity.

In the end, human insight, judgement and imagination are irreplaceable. If we harness and teach AI proficiency with that in mind, we are preparing not just music teachers, but thinkers, innovators and lifelong learners capable of partnering with technology, rather than being replaced by it.

Hyesoo Yoo is an associate professor of music education in the School of Performing Arts at Virginia Tech. Her research focuses on intercultural approaches to music education, innovative uses of technology in classrooms, creative learning activities and lifelong music learning. 

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