Photo: BLANCA CRUZ / AFP / Getty Images
SZA has voiced strong opposition to musicians who support AI-generated music. In a recent Instagram Stories post, she revealed that an AI music database had used 238 of her songs to train its models, including some unreleased tracks. SZA expressed her disdain, stating,
"If you're a musician and you support this degenerate shit? You're disgusting and there's NOTHING YOU COULD EVER SAY TO ME TO MAKE THIS OKAY."
SZA has been a long-time critic of AI, particularly concerned about its impact on Black artists. She highlighted how AI disproportionately affects Black music, questioning why AI covers often feature Black artists like Olivia Dean. SZA's comments come amidst growing debates over consent, ownership, and the exploitation of Black creativity in the AI era.
The issue is not just about technology but also about who profits when an artist's sound and style are used by AI. SZA's remarks underscore broader concerns about the lack of protection and compensation for artists whose work is used without permission. According to NME, SZA has linked AI's impact to both artistic exploitation and environmental harm, particularly for Black and brown communities.
The music industry is already seeing legal battles over AI use. Major labels have sued AI music companies like Suno and Udio for using copyrighted songs without permission. As AI becomes more embedded in media, SZA's concerns about the protection of Black creativity remain pertinent.
SZA's stance reflects a larger conversation within the industry about the ethical implications of AI in music.