When a fake Drake and The Weeknd track went viral, we asked young people: Will A.I. replace pop stars? Here’s what they think.
One of our most popular recent writing prompts was inspired by an A.I.-generated track with fake Drake and the Weeknd vocals that went viral on social media last month, racking up millions of plays. The song was eventually removed from streaming platforms, but not before sending a scare throughout the music industry about the future of artificial intelligence in music.
Will A.I. replace pop stars? we asked teenagers. Would you listen to music made by this technology?
Many students said that curiosity would lead them to listen to an A.I.-generated song once, but they were convinced something would be missing: a lack of originality, passion, authenticity, soul. Others said all they cared about was whether the song was good. Read a selection of their comments below where they discuss the ethics of artificial intelligence, the future of live concerts, how A.I. could reshape the music industry and more.
Thank you to all those who joined the conversation on our writing prompts this week, including students from Westlake High School in Westlake, Ohio; Vancouver, Wash.; Kentucky; and Washington, D.C.
Please note: Student comments have been lightly edited for length, but otherwise appear as they were originally submitted.
Many students argued that A.I.-generated music would not have the emotional pull of music made by humans …
Human singers have the ability to convey a wide range of emotions and add their own unique style to their music. They have the creativity and experience to interpret lyrics and to give them their own style. Music made with A.I. may be good, but it will never be the same as music sung by a good pop star.
While A.I. can be a helpful tool for composers and producers to experiment with new sounds and styles, it will never replace the raw talent and artistry of human vocalists.
In my personal opinion, the main allure of music lies in the emotional connection that it establishes with the listener. It’s not only about the melody or the lyrics, but also the sentiments and reminiscences that the music evokes. If I became aware that a song was completely generated by an artificial intelligence system, I would feel intrigued to listen to it, driven by my fascination with the underlying technology. Nevertheless, I might not feel as connected to the song on an emotional level as I would if it was composed by a human artist.
— Aleena, Julia R. Masterman, Philadelphia, PA
Music and art in general created by actual humans is so important because otherwise, the creativity, emotions, vulnerability etc. would not be there. Even if the A.I. were to generate an emotional song, it would not be real because the A.I. would be basing the song off trends and older music, not actual emotion. A.I. cannot produce pop stars, most people love pop stars because they actually perform with emotion and have personalities. A.I. has neither.
Even if the lyrics emulate a real pop star’s lyrics, whether it talks about heartbreak, love, or family, it would never have the same impact like one created by a real pop star because the listeners know it is all just to sound good and appeal to the listeners. It would have nothing to do with the artist themselves … Music is supposed to be relatable. When I listen to music, I like to listen to artists I know have gone through similar things or have the same feelings as me.
— Sophia, Hinsdale Central High School
… and that A.I. could never replace the connection between musicians and their fans.
Pop stars often have a unique charisma and talent that allows them to connect with their audience on a personal level, something that A.I. may struggle to replicate. Furthermore, the music industry is also heavily influenced by marketing and public relations, which can create a cult of personality around certain pop stars. This is not something that A.I. can replicate, as it lacks the personal identity and narrative that pop stars often use to connect with their audience. It is possible for A.I. to create popular music, but it is unlikely that it will completely replace pop stars.
I think the celebrity aura that comes with pop stars will always be attractive to the listener … I feel like if the song is made by A.I, there won’t be really any connection between the songwriter and listener.
I would not mind listening to music that A.I. created, though it would be sad to lose the ability to watch that music live in the same way. There is an emotional connection that is generated between an artist and a listener, and that could be tainted if listeners can no longer feel physically present in the same space that the artists occupy.
— Caden, Crossroads High School
I would be willing to listen to music created by A.I. However, I don’t think that it will ever replace music that is sung by humans because of things like concerts. The thrill of seeing your favorite artists onstage, singing along with them.: how could A.I. achieve the same feeling? Not to mention, there are so many unique voices and types of music such as rap, country, K-pop, just to name a few. Think of some of the top hits in the music industry. What comes to mind for me are primarily break up songs. Wouldn’t it feel weird listening to a robot singing about a breakup we all know never happened? Some artists now also add custom lines when it comes to concerts. Take Sabrina Carpenter for example, she changes the last line of her song every concert. The crowd anticipates it but never knows what she’s going to say. When she does, they go crazy. What about big events like Coachella or Summerfest that make millions of dollars in revenue. Would that be gone?
Some students raised ethical concerns about using existing music to computer-generate new songs.
Chatbots, such as ChatGPT, may be incredible advancements in technology, but they are taking away jobs from actual humans, and this is no different. If we support A.I. bands, we could be contributing to the destruction of the music industry, which would not only leave many people unemployed, but it would also lead to the ruination of creative expression in society. In other words, the incorporation of artificial intelligence into the arts could become incredibly detrimental to humans, as creativity and artistry are large components of what it means to be human.
I think I would listen to songs made with A.I, but most definitely with the consent of the artist. Their voice, which is basically the one thing they market, being used in such a manner without their knowledge is honestly really scary to think about. The music industry should be worried about the rise of A.I., because music as a whole might just, well, become a shell of itself. Lyrics feeling more like an empty plain rather than a cove of rich ideals, feelings and values. A.I. does really have me fearing for the future of everything.
The success of “Heart on My Sleeve” is concerning for me and most likely to the music industry because it is going to be harder to distinguish real music from fake, and could lead to other people benefiting from the success of others.
I would listen to a song made by a machine — in fact, I have done it a lot. I have had a strong interest in vocal synthesizers, software that allows users to generate vocals for a song, for a few years now. If you have ever heard of VOCALOID, Synthesizer V, or CeVio, those are all vocal synthesizers. In recent years, these programs have also utilized A.I. technology, which helps its users create more realistic vocals with ease … But AI-generated songs seem to be made for exploitation and views. The singers involved have likely not given consent for their voices to be used in this way, and that could mean legal issues if a song like this is found to fall under something like false celebrity endorsement. I think this is part of a bigger problem related to AI art generation in general: what protections does an artist have against their work being used in this way?
However, they saw A.I. as having the potential to change how the music industry operates …
Allowing A.I. to overtake human-made A.I. art will debatably take the soul out of art and take jobs away from music artists. However, A.I. music should be used as a tool for artists to use to create art. For instance, artists should be able to use A.I. sampled instruments in a song if they do not have access to hiring professionals. Thus, through A.I., the music industry can be more inclusive for people who lack resources. I believe A.I. art can be used to produce popular pop music. Pop music is formulaic, a band called MGMT used the formula that most pop songs use and was able to create popular pop songs. Therefore, an A.I. system coded to be able to analyze the formulas of popular songs will most likely be able to create a popular catchy song.
The use of A.I. in the music industry has the potential to revolutionize the way music is made and consumed. One of the biggest benefits is the ability to create personalized music for each and every person. A.I. can also help artists create new and innovative sounds by listening to existing music.
I do think that A.I. is able to produce a No. 1 song and I also believe one day it will replace pop stars because most songwriters/rappers take a long time to release music or albums. With A.I. it would be easier to listen to new music from our favorite musicians. For example, the song “Heart on My Sleeve” rapidly became popular, and fans of those artists (Drake and The Weeknd) enjoyed it … Although A.I. music is threatening popular artists, fans seem to enjoy it. In my opinion, A.I. songs have changed the music industry and it will be difficult for fans to get over this new trend.
… even though some thought that the splash made by “Heart on My Sleeve” was a false alarm.
I do not think the music industry should be worried about the impact of A.I. in the future. The main reason why “Heart on my Sleeve” was successful is probably because people did not know what A.I. was capable of and many people were initially shocked. However, I strongly believe that A.I. will never be able to replace real artists.
Even though I don’t like it, I can see an A.I. song becoming #1 on the charts because it brings shock value especially in this generation. It will become a trend but trends do eventually die out so I think it won’t last long because people will get bored and want real music that someone put actually thought behind and not just some tech generating what it thinks will be good.
A.I. can only copy, not create, and therefore should not be treated as the future of music. While I would listen to a good lo-fi tune, I would never, ever, consider A.I.-music as “real” music. Music is abstract and deep in meaning, and A.I.-generated songs discredit it.
Still, several said they would give A.I.-generated music a chance.
I would 100% listen to a song if I knew if it was sung by a machine. I already have, through social media platforms, such as TikTok. I think it is insane how A.I. can replicate voices, and have them sing distinct notes, phrases, and rhythms to fit other songs. And it sounds believable too!
— Sofia G., Valley Stream North
Honestly, I think I would still listen to music if it was sung by a machine, because I don’t really care who the song is written by as long as it sounds good. As of now, I don’t even pay attention to who sings some songs when I’m listening to them … I think after reading this article, I’m partly afraid yet also excited, because I would love to see what A.I. can come up with next.
I’ve seen a few TikTok’s of people using A.I. to make it sound like artists like Kanye West or Olivia Rodrigo are singing Taylor Swift songs. I listened to them for fun and I find it very fascinating how A.I. is able to recreate these artists’ voices and make it so accurate. However, I don’t think that listening to a song purely made from A.I. would have the same meaning to me.
Honestly I would definitely listen to music made by A.I. because if I think it sounds good, and I like it, more than likely I will listen to it. I think the rapper whose vocals are impersonated should get an incentive for that, but I think that A.I. has been used for so long behind our backs, and now that it’s slowly getting crazier and crazier, it’s going to be the new norm.
— Abram, Atrisco Heritage Academy
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