A review of ethical issues in AI-generated music

Abstract

AI-generated music has entered contemporary music practices in many ways. However, this development has also brought numerous ethical issues to the forefront. In the current scientific literature, ethical discussions about AI and AI-generated music have generally been addressed through only a few axes, and a comprehensive presentation of these discussions is lacking. This article aims to frame the ethical debates arising with the impact of AI-generated music on contemporary music practices, both performing and compositional. With the increasing prevalence of AI-generated music, ethical concerns have emerged in many areas, including authorship, copyright, labor, musical creativity, musical performance culture, pedagogy, education, commercialization, the meaning and future of musical art, and responsibility. By reviewing the relevant literature, this study presents discussions in ten key areas: the problem of musical creativity, competition in music production, the meaning of music, copyright issues in music, the devaluation of human musical talent, homogenization in music culture, exploitation of labor, problems in music education, ethical responsibility, and the meaning of art. Situated at the intersection of music, AI, and ethics, this study establishes a theoretical framework and contributes a holistic perspective to future research agendas.

Keywords

• AI ethics
• AI-generated music
• Algorithmic creativity
• Audiation
• Cultural and artistic ethics
• Music technology

Supporting Institution

This study did not receive any funding.

Ethical Statement

This study does not require ethics committee approval.

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