Survey finds 97% of us can't tell its AI: ‘The threat is real’

Three songs generated by artificial intelligence topped the Billboard and Spotify charts in November, raising questions about authenticity, creativity, and the future of music. 

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Speaking to 702’s Gugs Mhlungu, the chief data and analytics officer at First National Bank Risk, Dr Mark Nasila, notes that people generally can’t distinguish between AI and human-created music.

A recent study found that 97% of people surveyed couldn’t tell the difference, and of the 50,000 AI-generated songs uploaded to music platforms daily, they account for 34% of all new music.

“Artists use distribution channels to increase their visibility to drive popularity of the music, which leads to streaming sales so that they can generate revenue, but this development shows that the threat is real,” he says.

He adds that, unlike traditional music, where rights are clearly assigned to songwriters, performers, and producers, AI music blurs these lines.

The industry now faces challenges in determining how to distribute revenue when AI algorithms combine elements from multiple existing works.

Nasila says that while AI regulation lags, the music industry must develop frameworks that ensure fair compensation for human artists whose work trains AI systems in creating tomorrow’s hits. 

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“We need to go for laws or regulations to protect artists, so that they can be part and parcel of how the industry is evolving.”

To listen to Nasila's conversation with 702’s Gugs Mhlungu, click below: