Musician Aidan Sammut has sparked industry chatter after complaining about a live music event designed to promote new artists that featured performances of artificial intelligence-generated material. The activity has sparked new interest in the impact of artificial intelligence on the music industry, as well as concerns about whether human musicians will get the chance.According to 702 ABC Sydney, Aidan Sammut and his bandmates were preparing for a show at a venue in Sydney’s inner west when they learned that one of the artists, Afro Charles, was using artificial intelligence-generated content in their music.“We were like, ‘How is this going to work? What is the show going to actually look like?'” Sammut said. “Shock, I guess, and then that shock turned to disgust. Just offended that this could actually happen.”The event, which takes place on Wednesday, is designed for smaller bands trying to gain a foothold in the music industry. Sammut expressed his dissatisfaction with competing against AI performers. “My biggest issue is that the spots allocated to AI artists could have been allocated to human bands. The event is specifically aimed at smaller bands trying to get started in the scene,” he told the outlet.
Creators defend artificial intelligence approach to music
Afro Charles creator Damian Amamoo has defended his decision to use artificial intelligence in his music, saying his use was clearly disclosed on social media for music performances. “There was a post out there that said we were a three-piece band, made up of two avatars or robots and a human. The human was responsible for the live performance,” he explains.Amamoo formed his Afro-pop group late last year using an AI music generator platform. Afro Charles consists of three members: Amamoo and two “avatars” whose voices are generated by artificial intelligence. He described artificial intelligence as a tool similar to traditional musical instruments used in music production.
The Sydney musician said emerging artists were already struggling for limited opportunities and feared the actions of artificial intelligence could make that struggle more difficult. Image source (Instagram)
“It’s very fast… like I can write a song and send it to you and then sing it in about five, six or seven different ways. This latest wave of artificial intelligence technology is just the latest evolution in music production, and it won’t be the last,” he said.The platform allows users to adjust their voices and create music with built-in singers. Amamoo compared it to other technological innovations in music history. “Nothing is 100 percent new. Remember how hip-hop sampled the sounds of previous generations to create new music,” he noted, while acknowledging that issues around fair use and intellectual property rights still need to be resolved.
Event organizers bear responsibility
The music service that booked the event issued a statement acknowledging their oversight. “We take full responsibility for not censoring artists’ social media and discouraging the use of artificial intelligence,” the statement read. They added: “The organization and venue have never knowingly, and will never, book anyone using artificial intelligence to generate music.”
Sammut’s criticism Artificial intelligence in music
Sammut fundamentally disagrees with Amamoo about using an AI music generator. “It’s fundamentally based on the theft of human art. I think there’s still a long way to go and a lot of things that need to be addressed before it becomes an accepted part of music production,” he said.The emerging musician emphasized that even when using other tools for digital music creation, it is still fundamentally driven by human creativity. “With drum machines, DJing and electronic dance music, things like that, even though it’s digital, it’s still human creativity driving the work. To program a good drum machine pattern or whatever, you still need to fundamentally understand how to create a good beat,” he explains.
Sammut believes that creativity and live performance should continue to be driven by humans, not algorithms or artificial intelligence. Image source (Instagram)
Worry emerging artist ‘ Chance
Live performances are one of the few sources of income for emerging musicians like Sammut. He expresses anxiety that AI performances are becoming more common and could reduce paid opportunities for human artists. “As someone who tries to make a living from performing live and releasing music, it’s really frustrating to see this behavior increasingly promoted by the music industry as a cheap alternative rather than actually paying people,” he said.Sammut expressed hope that venues will be more vigilant when booking artists in the future. “I guess what I’m concerned about right now is the possibility that these things may have slipped through the cracks,” he noted.
Venue reaction and policy changes
The venue’s licensee explained the confusion surrounding bookings. When Amamoo contacted them, they were told that Afro Charles was a live singing producer. “To me, it could mean a lot of things, having someone on stage with a synthesizer,” Rory Summers said.The venue emphasizes its desire to remain neutral in terms of musical tastes while providing space for diverse artists. “As a venue, we don’t want to be the arbiters of taste. We just want to be a space for people to come and connect. Not all the music played here is my cup of tea,” Summers said.In response to the controversy, the venue donated the night’s bar profits to a charity that supports people in the music industry. Additionally, the venue has now changed its booking process to explicitly ask artists if artificial intelligence is used in their music to ensure greater transparency for future events.
