Desperate Times AI Music
With Sum 41 recently calling it quits, it was only a matter of time before we saw AI covers come out of the band. Today, we are delighted with a cover from the one and only, AI Chester Bennington of the song ‘Pieces’.
The song actually goes together extremely well. Chester’s voice fits perfectly, which goes to show the level of influence he had on the early 2000s bands when he was also at the height of his fame with Linkin Park.
This begs the question, is it okay to be doing this with bands and voices? While some see it as a way to keep the voices of beloved musicians alive, others view it as unethical and even disrespectful.
On the one hand, the ability to recreate the singing voices of deceased artists such as Chester Bennington, Elvis Presley, or Whitney Houston using AI algorithms has led to the release of new songs that sound like they were performed by the original singers. Proponents argue that this allows fans to experience new music from their favorite artists and keep their legacies alive.
However, critics argue that the use of AI to create posthumous music raises several ethical concerns. For one, it raises questions about the authenticity of the music being produced. Is it really the artist’s voice, or is it a synthetic imitation? And if it is a synthetic imitation, who has the right to profit from it? Can an artist trademark a voice? Let alone an artist that has passed away?
There are also questions around consent and ownership. Should deceased musicians have a say in how their likeness and voice are used after their passing? If so, who then speaks for them and their rights? It’s a really fine line to walk and I think while we continue to see songs like this come out, we will see some legal actions within the next year or so.
