Pete Rock is the latest artist to speak out against AI being used in the music space.
In a Twitter update shared over the weekend, Rock called the practice “mad disrespectful” and “cowardly.” He also called out anyone who’s been quick to praise AI-made tracks, several examples of which have gone viral in recent months.
“AI is mad disrespectful and if y’all don’t see that but think this AI stuff is dope then you are a part of the problem,” the artist and producer said on Sunday. “They can’t beat Black culture so what do they do when they can’t measure natural talent? Silly shit like AI! AI is such a cowardly act that bears no real soul or feeling.”
Rock’s criticism joins other recent expressions of concern from Drake, Young Guru, and other artists and industry voices alike. Young Guru, specifically, has spoken out about the issue on multiple occasions—including in response to viral AI sounds emulating Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar.
“Of course my mind goes to the ethical and legal aspects of what can be done with programs like Tacotron 2,” the engineer and producer warned in February. “You add that to the power of ChatGPT and you realize we are in a very groundbreaking but dangerous moment. It’s not the tech, it’s the evil that men do with the tech.”
Corporations and labels have also pushed back against such use of the tech, with Universal Music Group having been revealed in a recent report to have been urging Spotify and other streaming platforms to take action against the use of its catalog for AI emulation training.
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