I was looking for new music to listen to while programming. I checked Apple Music first, then opened YouTube because sometimes I find interesting stuff there.
I found a few channels with Polish folk and Slavic music. It sounded different from what I usually listen to. Not studio-perfect, more like something a small band would put out. I liked it. I listened for a while and wanted to find more. Maybe buy an album.
Then I found out it was AI-generated.
Someone had an idea for how the songs should sound, what the lyrics should be, the style. And they used AI to create it. The visuals were nice too. Everything was well put together.
But I stopped listening.
The music didn’t change. My ears didn’t suddenly hear something different. The melodies were still the same ones I enjoyed five minutes earlier. But knowing it was made by AI changed something. I can’t fully explain it.
Here’s where it gets complicated. How much of the creative work was done by a person, and how much was AI? If someone had a complete vision for the song (the melody, the lyrics, the mood) and used AI as a tool to bring it to life, is that different from someone who typed “create Polish folk music about nature” and let AI do everything?
I think it is different. But I’m not sure how much it changes things for me as a listener.
I use AI for programming every day. I have the idea, I know how it should work, and AI helps me get there faster. If someone did the same with music (had the full creative idea but couldn’t play instruments or sing), AI gave them a way to make it real. Without AI, that music would not exist. That feels like it should count for something.
But then there’s the effort. A real band spends months writing songs, learning to play them, recording, fixing, re-recording. Someone with AI can produce something in a few hours. The result might sound comparable. Does the effort behind it matter? Part of me says it shouldn’t, that only the result matters. Another part of me says it absolutely does.
I still feel better when I listen to music made by people. When I know someone had to learn an instrument, develop their voice, spend time in a studio. When the song represents months of work, not an afternoon with a computer.
I don’t have an answer. I’m not saying people shouldn’t make AI music. I’m not saying it’s bad. I liked it, genuinely. If the same music was made by a real person or band, I would listen to it without hesitation. I would probably buy the album. But for some reason I can’t fully explain, I stopped listening and went back to searching for music made by humans.
Maybe that will change. I’m not sure.