Introduction to AI-Generated Music
Can you trust your ears to distinguish humans from machines when it comes to music? Apparently, most people can’t do that. In a recent study by streaming platform Deezer and market research firm Ipsos, 97% of respondents could not tell the difference between music tracks created entirely by artificial intelligence (AI) and those created by humans. In other words, AI-generated audio is truly compelling.
The Rise of AI-Generated Music
AI-generated music is already everywhere, including on the Billboard charts. Breaking Rust’s "Walk My Walk" – a completely AI creation, from the instrumentals to the vocals to the visuals – reached number one on the Country Digital Songs chart in mid-November. Then there’s Xania Monet, a similar virtual artist with gospel and R&B charting singles, who was recently signed to a record label for $3 million. And this summer, the band Velvet Sundown racked up a million Spotify listeners a month before revealing themselves to be a “synthetic music project.”
Do People React Negatively to AI Music?
At first glance, it might seem like listeners are welcoming AI-generated music with open arms and ears. But the truth is more unclear. The same Deezer study found that 52% of respondents felt uncomfortable because they were unable to tell the difference between human and AI music. How do listeners feel when they know that a piece of music is AI-generated? Some studies have found that they like certain types of music less. Other studies, including one by Philippe Pasquier, director of the Metacreation Lab for Creative AI at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, have found no bias for or against AI-generated music.
The Ethics of Listening to Music
Sophia Omarji says she can enjoy an AI-generated piece of music. A Stockholm-based AI user experience researcher and music psychologist, she hosts The Sound Mind podcast and is also a musician. She told that while she thinks knowing that a piece is AI-generated can make you want to "disassemble" it, technically speaking, not much changes. “You still enjoy the piece of music, but there may still be ethical and moral aspects that come with it.” A commonly raised ethical issue is that generative AI music platforms like Suno and Udio train their machines on the work of existing human artists. This may violate copyright laws if used for free.
Can Machines Mimic Human Expression?
Human fear of technological disruption is nothing new. As early as the 16th century, people feared job displacement when automation was introduced in the knitting industry. There have been advances in music production using AI software since the early 1980s – and this has also been criticized. In recent years, AI has been used to complete both Beethoven symphonies and Beatles tunes. But for many musicians and music lovers, the current moment feels different. "It’s not just the loss of my job. It’s part of my identity. It was my thing," said musician and audio producer Mark Henry Phillips in a recent US interview.
AI-Generated Music: A New Kind of Art?
Pasquier also does not believe that AI systems are creative. “They mimic the data they were trained on and lack intentionality and framing,” he says. “They are missing a lot of what makes people human [and] artistic creativity.” But he adds: "Building a machine that makes art is a practice in itself, known as generative art or meta-creation. This is not new and has long been niche among its followers." Ultimately, however, music is more than just sound, whether AI-generated or not. "People like an artist, let’s say a musician, because of their looks, their attitude and personality. Fandom is much more than the music itself!" says Pasquier.
Conclusion
Sophia sees how AI could provide a pedestal for musicians who have something to offer but may not meet certain industry standards. For her, however, dealing with music is primarily about discovering the artist and his story. She is skeptical that an AI artist can do this. "If [a song] created by an AI, then you see that they don’t really have a story," she says. "And I think that really takes away from a big part of what the music industry is today."
