This popular song on the radio might be AI-generated
What's the story
Josh Fawaz, an Australian music producer, has gone from obscurity to fame in just a few months. His cover of Madonna's Like a Prayer topped the National Radio Airplay chart in Australia and racked up millions of streams globally. However, some industry experts are questioning whether this hit was actually produced by Fawaz or generated using artificial intelligence (AI).
AI allegations
Experts weigh in on the matter
The debate over the authenticity of Like a Prayer stems from its production style, which some say resembles that of AI music generators like Suno. Sam Whiting, a senior research fellow at RMIT's School of Media and Communication, noted the song is "heavily compressed," a characteristic often associated with AI-generated music. He said if this impressive vocal performance was not delivered by a human, it raises troubling questions about our appreciation for human expression in art.
Clarification
Fawaz responds to accusations
Responding to the accusations, Fawaz took to Instagram and clarified that he uses AI as a tool in his music production. He emphasized his main goal is to provide quality music for his listeners. Despite the controversy, Fawaz's cover of Like a Prayer has been streamed 35 million times on Spotify and topped the iTunes Electronic chart globally.
Industry impact
New radio code requires disclosure of AI-generated voices
On July 1, a new commercial radio code of practice came into effect, requiring transparency about the use of AI-generated voices on air. However, it doesn't cover music. The success of Fawaz's cover comes as big tech companies are pushing for changes to Australian copyright laws to allow them to scrape local content for their AI models. This has raised alarm among musicians over potential misuse of their work in training these systems.
Financial implications
Concerns over artist royalties
The rise of AI-generated content has sparked concerns over its impact on artist royalties. Producer and DJ Needs No Sleep recently called AI-generated music the "biggest issue in music right now." He warned that such tracks earn royalties every time they're streamed or played on the radio, diverting funds away from artists who create original music. This could lead to a smaller share of income for these creators as they compete with AI-generated content.
Tool usage
Streaming culture's role in this phenomenon
If Fawaz is indeed using prompts to create his music, he wouldn't be the first one to do so. Last year, three AI songs topped Spotify and Billboard charts, with some major labels even striking deals with AI music companies. Whiting said the streaming culture of the last decade has "primed" listeners for these sounds, explaining why they aren't being critically examined.