The Debate about Music Made with the Help of AI

I phrase the title this way because I feel like in all the conversations that have come up online when I’ve posted or shared anything is the people against it, it doesn’t sound like they are considering that there IS ‘someone’; a ‘human’ behind the scenes making it and putting it all together. Writing lyrics, in some cases playing my own guitar, arrangements for pacing, etc.

The Biggest Argument on the Opposition Side

The main thing people say about it is that it will somehow ‘take away’ from what they describe as ‘actual artists / musicians’ ‘making it’ in the business. It reminds me of something I heard about Michael Jackson. He was upset that Janet Jackson was releasing music because now he had to think of her as competition.  When in fact, she said in reply and I agree with this there is room for everyone!

The Fear:

For many artists, the rise of AI feels like a wave that could wash away decades of craft. They’ve spent years mastering instruments, touring, and connecting with audiences in ways that only live performance can. To them, AI feels impersonal — a shortcut that cheapens what music means.

My Take:

I see it differently. AI doesn’t erase creativity — it amplifies it. The tools don’t make the song; my ear, feeling and what I ‘like’ does. Every prompt, every mix, every lyric still begins with a human…just me. The machine only expands what’s possible, much like the electric guitar once did for rock, or synthesizers did for pop.

What’s In It For Me

I love the music I make with the help of creative AI tools because it lets me explore sounds, instruments, vocals I want to make but by myself. I like making music by myself. I will and have tried to get talented people around me to collaborate which on a couple of songs I did, but all the rest I’ve done myself.  It may be nice to work with someone or a band on a song, but my current season of life it’s lack of time that is a hindrance to that.  Also being an introvert doesn’t help when you want to try to talk to people and find who shares your same likes to make songs with.  With my AI creative tools, it’s like having the ability to play any instrument to make my song the way I want it to sound. I still write the lyrics, change the arrangements of each part for pacing, and feel like I use my own musically inclined ear to make the song the best it can be before calling it finished.

There’s a saying I love:

“A great painter knows when to stop.”

Musicians or in this case a ‘music maker’ using AI tools this rule also applies. I NEVER use what AI ‘spits’ out. I pride myself on this since I’ve recently heard there are music farms which honestly is giving what I and others do with these tools a bad reputation. I just hope it can be heard in my songs that is not what I’m doing in the slightest. <3

Debating In The Comments Section

Here are just a handful of some positive and some not so positive comments I’ve gotten since I’ve started.

Things like ‘fake music’ or ‘garbage’.  I like and love all of them and reply to the negative ones that I know AI can be polarizing to be a part of but my hope is that people will hear ‘the song’ and get past ‘how it’s made’.

When ‘how it’s made’ is such a fraction of what goes into the songs I make, the decisions and changes I make to a song before I ‘know when to stop’.

The political comment about magas I had to include because I NEVER get political in my comments at all. This happened to be on a country style song I did. It’s okay, but just showing the range of comments I get.  From the ones below, I especially like the ones ‘AI or not I’m loving it’ or ‘I know its AI songs, but its fckn good’!  LOL  These are listeners who can hear ‘the song’. They hear in it what I hear which is great!

Additionally, here is what sounded to me like a very heartfelt comment which I appreciate this feedback about my ‘I Walk Alone (The Hollow Road)’ Song:

“@iiswansongii

Artificial intelligence has no feelings. Only a human can feel pain. And this artificial intelligence cannot create anything by itself — everything it has comes from people.

But this song was written by a human. It carries so much pain from loneliness and years lived.

That’s something artificial intelligence definitely cannot do. Thank you for the song — it’s amazing.” 💔🎶

The Future of Music

I would never try to make predictions. I can only say these music tools allow more people to be ‘a part of music’. Anytime you give people the ability to be creative it’s all encompassing and always positive. For me it absolutely has been positive.

I’m reminded of a line from Amadeus:

“Opera is here to ennoble us.”

In this context, I’d say:

“AI tools are here to ennoble us.”

In a chat I had with an AI engine, here I think is a great explanation of this notion that AI ennobles us: