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So it begins! I suspect it’s only the first of many similar announcements coming in the next few years, as the line between man-made and AI-generated art gets blurrier. An AI musician and singer, Xania Monet, created by Telisha “Nikki” Jones, an R&B songwriter from Mississippi, has just signed a record deal worth US$3 million.
The offer came after Monet appeared on the Billboard charts in mid-Sep, debuting at No. 25 on the Emerging Artists list and at No. 21 on Hot Gospel Songs with “Let Go, Let God.”
But the real hit was “How Was I Supposed to Know,” which hit No. 1 on R&B Digital Song Sales, No. 3 on R&B/Hip-Hop Digital Song Sales, and No. 22 on Digital Song Sales. In total, her songs gathered 9.8 million on-demand official U.S. streams, with 5.4 million coming in the second week of Sep.
First step
Billboard reports that the rising artist attracted much attention in the industry, but when it became clear she’s not a real person the bigger companies decided not to submit an offer out of abundance of caution given the ongoing copyrights lawsuits against the platform, Suno, that was used to create the music.
Nevertheless, several others stayed in the race to sign the first potential AI pop star and the bidding reached US$3 million, which the human creator of the AI singer happily accepted (who wouldn’t?).
Major labels are surely going to watch her career with great attention, but it’s understandable why they are reluctant to invite unwanted scrutiny and even public pushback against AI-generated music. Smaller players, however, might use it to generate interest and publicity, as it could be their way into the big leagues, normalising the practice in the process.
Since human artists are in short supply and landing a true star is impossible for a smaller business, AI may unlock the ability to conjure new stars each year, fully formed and controlled by their human creators.
A blessing for creators?
While it may seem dystopian at first, the story actually reveals new opportunities opening up for human creators too. The 31-year-old behind Xania is an artist herself—a poet and a songwriter, though lacking the vocal scale of her AI persona.
Ordinarily, her work—like that of thousands of others—would probably stay in her drawer at home. Thanks to technology, however, she was able to turn her writing into music that struck a chord with millions of listeners and provided a career opportunity that would not be possible a mere three years ago.
It’s also another example that a certain degree of human ability is needed, or is at least very useful, if you want to make the most of AI tools.
Just like AI coding is best done by actual coders who understand how to communicate with the chatbot and spot if it’s making any errors, music or other art disciplines may require talent in at least one area that the smart technology can then be directed to build around.
After all, generative AI is only as good as the instructions it is given.
- Read other articles we’ve written on artificial intelligence here.
Featured Image Credit: Xania Monet album “Unfolded”
