Machinism: Where Is the Future of Music Conservatories?

This report is grounded in the Central Conservatory of Music’s years of systematic exploration in the field of music artificial intelligence, and integrates cutting-edge international developments in music technology and AI to propose a forward-looking theoretical vision termed “Machinism.”

Within the long-standing humanistic framework that has defined the subject of artistic creation, the deep intervention of artificial intelligence is now unsettling the fundamental question of “where creation comes from.” From a philosophical perspective, the report conceptualizes Machinism as a framework for understanding the future form of artistic subjectivity. In this view, art is no longer merely an act of human self-expression, but gradually evolves into a structure of meaning-making shaped by human–machine collaboration, or even by the participation of multiple agents. Building on this theoretical foundation, the report turns to the level of real-world institutions, focusing on the music conservatory as a central pillar of traditional arts education. It systematically examines how artificial intelligence may bring about structural transformations across six sub-disciplines and seven areas of specialization within music academies. From the perspective of Machinism, the key question emerges: in the future, will music conservatories disappear, be fundamentally restructured, or continue to exist in an entirely new form?