In the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI), music, from their lyrics, to their production can be produced by a simple prompt typed into a computer. Emerging and growing from parodies and virality on social media, AI is finding its hold on the modern music industry.
The growth of AI-generated media comes with differing opinions. Some view it as harmless fun, but on the other hand, many are wary of the future of art with the influx of AI-generated content. South English teacher Dan DeMarco, worries about AI’s effect on new artists.
“I understand the attraction of it [AI],” DeMarco said. “It’s going to take away space from people who already find difficulty finding spaces in the world to show their work.”
Caroline White ’29, is stoutly against the use of AI to create music. She agrees that AI threatens to take from human artists, and shares her opinion on what makes art ‘art.’
“Art has human experience behind it so AI not being human means that the art it’s producing couldn’t really be qualified,” White said.
The discussion surrounding AI in the art world is fueled by the question of what humanity is, and if the human experience is able to truly be recreated. DeMarco believes that a human artist is crucial to the validity of art.
“Part of what goes into any art, visual art, performing art, is the artist himself or herself,” DeMarco said. “I think that’s an important part of the performance or the piece.”
Sam Labadie ’27 addresses another concern raised by the influx of AI-generated music, regarding the point when AI becomes too realistic.
“Eventually, if AI gets better, you won’t be able to tell what’s AI or not,” Labadie said. “And then just supporting something that isn’t human.”
However, many people still choose to support and indulge in AI art and music. Despite not supporting AI, DeMarco understands why people may not be opposed to it.
“I understand why people like them, I understand why they’re useful and why people want to employ them,” DeMarco said. “It looks fun, but it doesn’t seem as authentic as something real.”
Many people find no issue with AI music, and art as a whole, but the effects that it could have on the music industry can’t be ignored. White and others agree that AI puts artists at risk of unemployment and makes reality harder to decipher from fake.
“I do enjoy art, it’s pretty important part of my life,” White said. “I think that it’s [AI] putting artists at risk as it’s becoming harder to detect and easier to use.”
