Music is a form of art that people use to express themselves or to send messages to the world. Anyone can write music whether it’s from a quick drum on the kitchen table or in a professional studio. Lately, the use of AI (artificial intelligence) has grown and is now being used in schools, workplaces, and on websites. Somehow it is slowly but surely incorporating itself into the music industry. Many people have used AI to make silly music, remixes, or even new songs entirely. In fact, some popular musicians have used AI in their recent releases: Paul McCartney to isolate John Lenon’s voice, Timbaland to mimic Notorious B.I.G’s rapping style, and David Guetta to keep his DJ sessions loud and fun. Using AI in music can help people’s creative flow, but where should we draw the line?
Music is something that has been used for centuries to convey stories, emotions, desires, and so much more. People can interpret any song the way that they like and even use it to feel certain emotions like happiness or excitement. To be honest, using AI to help someone create a beat or add depth to a song is okay in my opinion, but I think using it to create whole new songs takes the personality out of music. To me, the most meaningful part of music is the lyrics. Lyrics are the foundation of what the song will sound like, how it will be performed, and the message that the artist wants to send to the world. While the beat, tune, and rhythm of the song are also important, to me those factors don’t hold as much value as the lyrics. Most people listen to songs they can relate to. For example, I love the song “Fly” by Djo because it embraces personal growth and supporting loved ones. That song was written from a human’s emotional past experiences, something that AI does not have.
AI is not only becoming a part of the music industry but also consuming a large part of the art industry itself, with digital paintings and sketches becoming less distinguishable from human craft. Many artists across the world have expressed their disapproval of AI art and many art influencers frequently shame people who support or use AI art on their platform. Some people’s art is now either accused of being AI or copied by AI. Artists are angry at this not only because AI is taking the value out of art, but these artists put so much time and thought into their work just for it to be devalued. My take is that AI should be capable of creating images or maybe even art, but taking over the art industry is unacceptable. There is no doubt that AI can create a pretty painting or an eye-catching sketch, but that is not the point of art. Art has always been something deeply human; it is made to make us feel. Humans are equally capable of creating anything that AI generates but with the unique ability of truly conveying culture, passion, and appreciation through it. This problem with AI “art” is very similar to AI music because while one group of people may spend days building a heartfelt song, AI can do it in seconds, without the energy and emotion but with a catchy tune that people will love.
Since AI music doesn’t involve any real effort or talent, it shouldn’t be recognized as superb, right? The Grammys, annual awards that recognize outstanding musicians, have created certain ways that an AI aided song can win. Any song that is eligible to win must mostly be human created, meaning the AI portion of the song has to be minimal. If the lyrics are created by a human but an AI bot sings it, then the Recording Academy members will consider its eligibility for a nomination. While this sounds a bit outrageous, singers have been singing lyrics that someone else wrote for them for ages. Even Elvis Presley’s “Hound Dog” and Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” weren’t written by them. Now the issue with AI “singing” songs for us is that they can’t really convey emotion. If every AI song is recognizable because of a few flaws and robot sounding voices, then personally it makes listening to music unenjoyable.
If you ask me, any song that involves AI should not be allowed to win a Grammy because it takes away a job or an element that a human is capable of adding. For example, a new song named “I Run” by HAVEN has gone viral on TikTok for its catchy beat and female vocals but was strongly altered by AI. The controversy with this song is that the vocals only sound female because of AI when it was originally sung by a man. Another issue is that the female voice is very similar to Jorja Smith. For his song, they could’ve hired an aspiring female singer if they really wanted a woman’s voice. The main issue is that AI holds no connection to songs and therefore cannot truly convey any emotion. Luckily, AI is only being used to make silly or “brainrotted” songs that people will repost and create memes with. That is with a few exceptions like the song “Walk by Walk” that reached number one on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart. I think with the rate that AI is being incorporated, it could eventually take over the music industry as it takes no time and little to no effort. Ultimately, using AI to create music takes the uniqueness and value out of art.
