AI-generated music has become increasingly widespread across the internet as audio-focused generative tools and platforms have grown more sophisticated. Many of these tracks feature melodies and vocals that are algorithmically derived from the work of human artists. While some creators readily admit to using the technology, others have denied doing so until mounting public scrutiny forced them to acknowledge the truth.
For musicians, particularly those working in technologically-focused spaces such as electronic dance music, the question of what is “real” and what isn’t feels especially urgent and personal. Professional courtesy adds another layer of complexity. Listeners can call out performers they suspect of using generative AI, but it is quite another matter for artists to raise concerns about their professional peers.
An EDM Producer Takes a Stand
Among those willing to speak out is 26-year-old EDM producer Max “H4RRIS” Harris, who has posted videos challenging anyone he believes is attempting to pass off AI-generated material as human-made art. Harris describes such music as “a kind of decoy art form”, arguing that the people making it do not have anything meaningful to express through their creations. He believes true art in any medium is “created by people that are trying to express feelings and messages”, and that AI boosters are chiefly interested in making a quick profit.
“I don’t consider AI-generated material to be art, and I don’t think this technology is really advancing art in any meaningful way,” Harris said. “It’s a technological advancement that’s giving people a way to steal real art and pass it off as their own.”
The Craft Behind Human-Made Music
Originally from Maine, Harris compared his approach to music-making with working in other creative mediums. He always begins with a core concept before “throwing more ideas down until I find something that sticks”. His production setup includes Ableton Live, a Novation Launchkey 49 MIDI controller, Ableton Push 3, Launchpad X, a couple of analogue synthesisers, Serum, Diva, and the software sampler Kontakt. Despite the apparent complexity, he said the entire process is “really just me making creative decisions” that culminate in a sound that feels right.
“Each of those decisions, and there’s hundreds of them to go into each song, brings me closer to evoking a specific kind of idea or emotion,” Harris explained. “And then once I have a song mapped out, I have to start making even more choices about how to mix it in a way that makes it sound good and presentable.”
In Harris’ view, being a genuine artist means making experimental but informed creative decisions rooted in a studied understanding of a given medium. One of his central objections to generative AI is that the technology often removes a user’s need to think about how songs, books, films or podcasts come together. He has also expressed dismay at the way AI imitators are muddying listeners’ understanding of what qualifies as human-made work.
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Image: theverge.com
