Sheryl Crow recently pissed off the entire music industry by going after Drake, and unfortunately, this has opened up a can of ethical/ legal worms directly to your face when it comes down to using Artificial Intelligence in creating Music. Crow clapped back at Drake for using an AI-generated Tupac Shakur on his diss track “Taylor Made Freestyle,” and called it a “hate” as well as something that’s, in the antithesis of what is life force to Pac.
One of the most notorious was a near 4-minute song that depicted Kendrick Lamar, another major player in rap world and Tupac digitally gassing him to beef. The estate more or less promptly condemned this unauthorized impersonation, issuing a cease-and-desist letter stating that the staged event amounts to an infringement of Tupac’s publicity rights as well making him look rather tasteless in death.
This is not an isolated incident. The song also included an AI impersonation of Snoop Dogg, who returned some light-heartedness on social media but noted that he hadn’t approved his own voice for inclusion raw. While also facing legal threats, Drake has since wiped “Taylor Made Freestyle” from all platforms.
But controversies like this are a stark reminder of the ethical quagmire that is reprising dead artists via AI. Yet it is also crucial to recognize AI as a creative tool. Artists including Arca, Holly Herdon and Toro y Moi are taking AI experimentation to new heights. Arca harnesses it to craft distinctive aural textures, Herndon works with AI systems as collaborators in designing radical new soundscapes Toro y Moi brings in A.I. generated production techniques into his music;
Secondly given the extent of this interest we are likely to see a number or researchers working on making these AI tools give convenience for artist which opens up possibilities for music creation.
The “Taylor Made Freestyle” story showcases just how fine of a line there is between strictly artistic innovation and honoring the legacies of deceased performers- one that’s made all the finer by rapidly-adapting AIs like Lil Miquela. Crow’s criticism is a timely reminder for the music-making industry to develop standards about what AI can and cannot ethically do with this sort of technology. AI can of course be a very powerful creative tool, but not at the expense of artistic integrity or in disrespect to all those who led us here through music history.
The Future of AI in Music Sounds Fantastic and Navigating the Ethical, Legal Challenges Will Be Key Hopefully, the industry can find a compromise where innovation and appreciation for those who first took the road less traveled go hand in hand. And only when AI works like this can it work as a meaningful tool for creativity, reaching beyond music limits while keeping the tradition alive.
