SZA Condemns AI Music Training as “Degenerate” After Discovering Mass Use of Her Catalog

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter SZA has launched a scathing attack on generative AI and the artists who support it, after discovering that over 200 of her tracks were used to train AI models.

Posting to her Instagram Stories, the “Kill Bill” artist shared the results of a database search revealing that 238 of her songs had been incorporated into AI training datasets, including, she believes, some unreleased material.

“If you’re a musician and you support this degenerate shit? You’re disgusting and there’s NOTHING YOU COULD EVER SAY TO ME TO MAKE THIS OKAY,” she wrote, adding, “I hope u have the life u deserve.”

SZA specifically targeted AI music platform Suno and producer Diplo in a subsequent post, highlighting Diplo’s equity stake in the company. She argued that the technology disproportionately targets Black creators for exploitation.

“Diplo has equity in Suno and is actively attempting to train it on the best and brightest black minds of writers and producers,” SZA wrote. “We make up 13% of the American population yet influence the world with our sound and perspective. I AINT HEARD A WHITE AI SONG YET .. why so disproportionate? We have no protection in legislature medical or creative.” She urged fellow creators to “DO NOT GIVE AWAY YOUR VIBRANIUM” and protect their intellectual property from “vultures.”

In response to the ongoing controversy, Suno’s chief product officer, Jack Brody, defended the company’s approach on LinkedIn. Brody asserted that preserving human creativity is a core priority, noting that many of Suno’s developers are musicians themselves.

Brody claimed that Suno has implemented rigorous safeguards to prevent misuse, including partnerships with providers like Audible Magic, Musixmatch, and ACRCloud to identify unauthorized content. He emphasized that the platform’s philosophy is centered on “Original Creation, By Design,” arguing that their models are designed to help users create new music rather than replicate existing artists.

“We do not use artist names as a category of training metadata,” Brody explained, stating that the intentional omission of artist names ensures the AI does not attempt to mimic specific individuals.

This is not SZA’s first confrontation with the technology. In a March interview with i-D Magazine, she described the situation as a “war,” noting that Black music is disproportionately targeted. She expressed frustration over AI covers of emerging artists and criticized the “stereotypical struggle music” generated by AI models.

The singer has also raised environmental and social concerns, urging followers to research the energy consumption and pollution associated with AI systems. She specifically highlighted the impact on cities like Memphis, calling the phenomenon “environmental racism” and warning that marginalized communities often pay the highest price for technological convenience.

Source link