Musician Aidan Sammut has the industry talking after he complained about a live music event designed to promote new artists where AI-generated material was performed. The event has sparked renewed interest in the influence of AI on the music industry, as well as concerns about the availability of opportunities for human musicians.According to 702 ABC Sydney, Aidan Sammut was rehearsing with his bandmates preparing for their gig at a venue in Sydney’s inner west when they learned that one of the artists in the line-up, Afro Charles, was using AI-generated content in his music.“We were like, ‘How is this going to work? What’s the performance actually going to be like?'” Sammut said. “Shock and then shock turned to disgust, I guess. I was just offended that this could actually happen.”The event was held on Wednesday and was designed specifically for smaller bands trying to establish themselves in the music scene. Sammut expressed his displeasure at being in the same lineup as an AI act. “My biggest issue is that the spot that was given to the AI artist could have been given to a human band. This event was specifically for smaller bands trying to get started in the scene,” he told the outlet.
The creator defends the musical approach of AI
Damian Amamoo, the creator of Afro Charles, defended his decision to use artificial intelligence in his music and said its use is clearly revealed on the music act’s social media. “There is a publication that says we are a band of three, made up of two avatars or robots and a human being. And the human being does the vocals live,” he explained.Amamoo started his Afro-pop band late last year using an AI music-generating platform. Afro Charles consists of three members: Amamoo and two “virtual avatars” whose voices are generated by AI. He characterized AI as a tool similar to traditional instruments used in music production.
The event organizer assumes responsibility
The music services company that booked the event issued a statement acknowledging its oversight. “We take full responsibility for not reviewing the artist’s social media and do not encourage the use of AI,” the statement said. “The organization and venue have never knowingly booked and will never book people who use AI to generate music,” they added.
Sammut’s reviews AI in music
Sammut fundamentally disagreed with Amamoo’s perspective on using AI music generators. “It’s fundamentally based on this theft of human art. I think it has a long way to go and a lot to address before it’s an accepted part of music making,” he said.The up-and-coming musician emphasized that even the creation of digital music with other tools remains fundamentally driven by human creativity. “With drum machines and DJs and with electronic dance music, that kind of thing, even though it’s digital, what drives the work is human creativity. To program a good drum machine pattern or whatever, you still have to fundamentally understand what it takes to create a good beat,” he explained.
Live performances represent one of the few sources of income available to up-and-coming musicians like Sammut. He expressed anxiety about AI performers becoming more common and potentially reducing paid opportunities for human artists. “As someone who’s trying to make a career out of performing live and releasing music, it’s very disheartening to see this being pushed further into the music industry as some sort of cheap alternative to people actually paying,” he said.Sammut expressed the hope that venues would be more vigilant in the future when booking artists. “I guess what worries me now is that there’s a possibility that this kind of thing could slip through the cracks,” he noted.
Site response and policy changes
The venue’s licensee explained the confusion surrounding the booking. When Amamoo approached them, they were told that Afro Charles was a producer with live vocals. “To me that can mean a lot of things, somebody on stage with a synthesizer,” said Rory Summers.The venue emphasized its desire to remain neutral in terms of musical tastes while providing space for diverse artists. “As a local, we don’t want to be the arbiter of taste, we just want to be a space for people to come and connect. Not all the music played here is my cup of tea,” Summers said.In response to the controversy, the venue donated profits from the night’s bar to a charity supporting the music industry. Additionally, the site has now changed its booking process to explicitly ask artists if AI is used in their music, ensuring greater transparency at future events.