Musician Aidan Samut has spoken out to the industry after complaining about a live music event designed to promote new artists that featured AI-generated material. The event sparked renewed interest in the impact of AI on the music industry, as well as concerns about the availability of opportunities for human musicians.According to 702 ABC Sydney, Aidan Samut was preparing for their gig with his bandmates at a venue in Sydney’s inner west when they learned that one of the artists on the line-up, Afro Charles, had used AI-generated material in their music.“We were like, ‘How will it work? What will the performance actually be like?'” Sammut said. “Shock and then shock turned into a kind of annoyance, I guess. Like being outraged that it could actually happen.”The event was held on Wednesday and was specifically designed for smaller bands trying to establish themselves in the music scene. Samut expressed his displeasure at being in the same line-up as an AI act. “My biggest issue is that the spot that was given to an AI artist could be given to a human band. That event was specifically for smaller bands trying to get their start in the scene,” he told the outlet.
The creator protects the AI music system
Damien Amamu, the creator behind Afro Charles, has defended his decision to use artificial intelligence in his music, saying its use has been clearly revealed on the musical act’s social media. “There’s a post that says we’re a band of three, two avatars or robots and a human. And the human does the live performance vocals,” he explained.Amamu started his Afro Pop band late last year using an AI music generator platform. Afro Charles consists of three members: Amamu and two “virtual avatars” whose voices are AI-generated. He identifies AI as a tool similar to traditional instruments used in music production.
The event organizer took charge
The music service company that booked the event released a statement acknowledging their oversight. “We take full responsibility for not checking the artist’s social media and do not encourage the use of AI,” the statement said. “The organization and the venue have never knowingly and will never book people who use AI to create music,” they added.
Criticism of Sammut A.I. in music
Sammut fundamentally disagrees with Amamu’s view on using AI music generators. “It’s fundamentally based on this theft of human art. I think it has a long way to go and a lot to address before it becomes an accepted part of music making,” he said.Budding Musicians emphasizes that even digital music creation using other tools is fundamentally driven by human creativity. “With drum machines, DJs and electronic dance music, that kind of thing, even though it’s digital, it’s still human creativity that’s driving the work. A good drum machine pattern or whatever, you still have to fundamentally understand what it takes to make a good beat,” he explained.
Live performance represents one of the few sources of income available to budding musicians like Samut. He also expressed concern about AI performers becoming more common and diminishing payment opportunities for human artists. “As someone who’s trying to make a career out of performing live and releasing music, it’s really disappointing that it’s been pushed more into the music industry as a cheap option to actually get people to pay,” he said.Samut hopes that venues will be more careful in future when booking artistes. “I guess what worries me now is that these kinds of things can slip through the cracks,” he noted.
Venue feedback and policy changes
The venue’s licensee explained the confusion surrounding the booking. When contacted Amamu, they were told Afro Charles is a producer with live vocals. “It can mean a lot to me, someone on stage with a synth,” says Rory Summers.The venue emphasized its desire to remain neutral about musical tastes while providing space for a variety of artists. “As a venue, we don’t want to be an arbiter of taste. We just want to be a place for people to come and connect. “All the music that’s played here is not my cup of tea,” Summers said.In response to the controversy, the venue donated bar profits from the night to a charity supporting the music industry. Additionally, the venue has now changed its booking process to explicitly ask artists if their music uses AI, ensuring more transparency at future events.
