When artificial intelligence enters sound design: an analysis from the AI perspective
After addressing in blog 28 the impact of AI on our profession, we will now examine whether our analysis aligns with the perspective of AI itself.
To do this, we asked ChatGPT!
Sound design is a subtle but essential art. In a video, a film, or video games, it's never just a "sound": it's a story told thru sounds. The role of the sound designer is to transform a mundane noise into a genuine emotion.
Let's take a simple example: a door closing in a movie. It's not just a door. Depending on the sound design, it can be heavy, unsettling, creaky, metallic... and create dramatic tension or subtle unease in the viewer. That's it, the heart of the profession: playing with context, cultural references, and a good dose of human intuition to bring images to life.
But then, what happens when Artificial Intelligence (AI) enters this field? Can we imagine it completely replacing the sound designer? Or is it just a new tool for sound creation?
Sound design: a very particular art
Being a sound designer is much more than just manipulating noises. It's an artistic approach where every sound must have meaning and intention.
- Sound design considers the narrative context (a horror film, a cheerful ad, an immersive game).
- It also relies on the viewer's culture: the sound of a bell does not tell the same story in Europe as it does in Asia.
- Finally, it involves a human experience: instinct, taste, the ability to surprise.
In the studio, the sound designer uses various software and techniques to shape sounds: recording, processing, spatialization, editing. Each project is unique, whether it's for an advertising campaign, an institutional video, a play, or a video game universe.
In short, the profession is deeply linked to storytelling and emotion.
What AI can already do
Today, AI is advancing at a dizzying pace. Many tools and software like AudioCraft, Suno, or Stable Audio are capable of automatically generating sounds or transforming recordings.
AI can already:
- Create realistic atmospheres: rain, wind, city noises.
- Generate stylized sounds: a futuristic laser, a roaring monster.
- Transform existing sounds (time-stretch, morphing, spatialization).
Save precious time in production, because instead of searching for hours in a sound bank, you can generate a base in a few seconds.
In this sense, AI is an excellent assistant for any sound designer. It doesn't eliminate creativity, but it facilitates creation by removing some of the repetitive work.
What AI doesn't (yet) do well
Where AI shows its limitations is in understanding the artistic project in its entirety.
- Understanding the narrative context: it can generate "footprints in the snow," but will it know that these footprints should evoke the anguish of a hunted character rather than the serenity of a winter stroll?
- Have an artistic intention: AI proposes, but it doesn't choose. It is always the human who adjusts, refines, and decides.
- Managing the coherence of a work: a film, a game, or a video requires sound continuity, logical transitions, and a coherent identity. This requires judgment, perspective, and true artistic direction.
In clear terms: AI is very good at generating sounds, but it still doesn't know how to tell a story with them.
My opinion: AI and sound designers, enemies or partners?
In the short and medium term, I don't believe for a second that AI will replace sound designers. On the other hand, it will transform the way we work.
- AI allows for the acceleration of sound creation.
- It democratizes access to sound design, even for small video or game productions.
- The role of the human professional is evolving: less technician, more artistic director, capable of guiding AI to get the best out of it.
In the longer term (10 to 20 years), we can imagine AIs capable of understanding a scenario, an emotional intention, and generating a coherent soundtrack. Maybe they will even be directly integrated into video game engines to create dynamic sound environments in real time.
But despite these advancements, music, atmospheres, and sounds will remain a matter of meaning, culture, and subjectivity. In other words, there will always be a need for a human touch.
The future of the sound designer profession
The future of the profession is shaping up as a human-machine collaboration. AI will be there to manage:
- repetitive tasks,
- the tedious research,
- the generation of multiple variants.
The sound designer, on the other hand, will remain the sonic narrator: the one who chooses, directs, and gives meaning.
In the studio, this means more time for creativity, less for the technical. In every project, from cinema to video games, the work will consist of finding the balance between the power of algorithms and human sensitivity.
Concrete example: sound creation for a video game
Let's imagine a sound creation project for an RPG.
- The AI quickly generates the sounds of footsteps, nature, and crowd noises.
- The sound designer chooses and adapts these sounds so that they match the image and the story.
- With his software, he touches up the details: a step that expresses fear, an atmosphere that becomes oppressive.
- In the studio, he mixes these elements to produce a coherent and immersive soundtrack.
Result: AI saves time, but it is indeed the human who transforms these sounds into sound narration.
The cost and added value of humans
Some might think: why pay a sound designer if an AI can generate sounds for free? The answer is obvious:
- AI proposes, but it doesn't conceive.
- She generates, but she doesn't understand the meaning.
- She creates sounds, but she doesn't build a sonic identity.
Investing in a sound designer means investing in the coherence, quality, and originality of your project. It's the difference between a simple succession of sounds and a memorable experience.
In summary
AI is a powerful tool that is changing the way we work.
- The sound designer remains the artist, the narrator, the one who gives meaning.
- What will be replaced: repetitive and technical tasks.
- What will remain human: taste, intuition, storytelling, and surprise.
In other words, the future of sound design will be a collaboration. AI will not replace sound designers: it will augment them.
If you need help with your sound design projects or if you are looking for custom services, contact our Sound Design France studio (contact@resonance-sounddesign.com) to discuss your ideas!
