Spotify CEO Won’t Entirely Ban AI-Generated Music

What’s the story?

• In an interview with BBC, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek said he has no plans to completely ban content created by artificial intelligence from the music streaming platform.
• Ek emphasized that artificial intelligence has valid use in music creation but should not be used to impersonate human artists without their consent.
• He categorizes AI use into three distinct "buckets," each with its own level of acceptability: tools like auto-tune enhance music and are considered acceptable, devices that imitate artists are deemed unacceptable, and a controversial middle ground where AI-created music is influenced by existing artists but doesn't directly impersonate them.
• In April 2023, Spotify and Apple Music removed an AI-generated fake song by Drake and The Weeknd.

Artificial intelligence and the music industry 

• Artists are voicing their concerns about AI's growing presence in the creative industry. In an episode of Newsnight, Irish musician Hozier said he would consider going on strike due to the threat AI poses to the music industry. In his personal blog, Nick Cave criticized using AI platforms for songwriting, calling it a "grotesque mockery of human creativity."
• In an interview with Audacy Live, Ed Sheeran said: 

 “I just don’t know why you need it – if you’re taking a job away from a human being, I think that’s probably a bad thing. The whole point of society is we all do jobs. If everything is done by robots, everybody’s gonna be out of work. I just find AI a bit weird.”

• On the other hand, some artists, like Sir Paul McCartney, are embracing AI. McCartney told BBC Radio 4 he planned to use AI to enhance an old recording with John Lennon to create a final Beatles song.

What do you think? Should Spotify ban AI music?

-Laura Woods

(Photo credit: iStock/asbe)