Kehlani is about to make a valid point about the state of tech, and limits that we should all notice, so let’s hear her out. The Bay Area star is speaking out against the growing wave of artificial intelligence in music after learning that Xania Monet, a computer generated performer, landed a three million dollar contract with Hallwood Media and even charted on Billboard.
Wild times. So is “she” going to tour next? Do interviews? Thinking Kehlani has a point.
For the Grammy nominated R&B singer, the milestone is less about innovation and more about erasing opportunities for human artists who dedicate their lives to the craft.
“Nothing and no one on Earth will ever be able to justify AI to me,” Kehlani said, reacting to the virtual artist’s success. Monet recently reached No. 25 on the Emerging Talents chart and No. 21 on the Hot Gospel Songs list. The project is the brainchild of poet and designer Talisha Jones, who used the AI platform Suno to transform her poetry into fully produced songs.
What’s more, Kehlani expanded her criticism in a post where she shared her frustration for rising talent struggling to break through. “I’m genuinely sad for people who are trying to come up and their space is being taken up by a computer program,” she wrote. She pointed out that fans calling the AI artist “relatable” are really responding to data collected and tailored to mimic human connection. She also questioned the reasoning behind turning poetry into synthetic vocals, writing that a poet should publish a book rather than use artificial voices to compete with real singers.
“I cannot paint, so I am not going to create AI paintings and sell them, taking up space from up and coming painters. This is the antithesis of art. Just because you can does not mean you should. Art is not a money grab. Music means something significant to culture, to humanity, to people. Me personally, I am going to value it that way for the rest of my life,” Kehlani added.
What do y’all think? Get AI in art under control or let it run wild? Let us know!