Diplo has pushed back on SZA’s criticism of AI music platforms, who allegedly used her music without permission, rejecting her claim that he is an investor in Suno.
“I’m definitely not [an equity investor] and there are 100 apps that can do what Suno does. A young kid can even make their own app AI music app with Claude, the villain isn’t the tech. Technology is just technology,” Diplo told PEDESTRIAN.TV.
His response comes after SZA went off on Instagram, calling out the use of her catalogue in AI training datasets. On her private Instagram, the “Kill Bill” singer directly called out Diplo, claiming he allegedly has equity in Suno and “is actively attempting to train it on the best and brightest black minds of writers and producers”.
“We make up 13 per cent of the American population yet influence the world w our sound and perspective,” she wrote. ”I AINT HEARD A WHITE AI SONG YET…We have no protection in legislature medical or creative. The easiest to steal from. DO NOT GIVE AWAY YOUR VIBRANIUM !!! DO NOT TRAIN AI W YOUR GENIUS.”
Her broader frustration has been fuelled by a public database highlighted by The Atlantic, which allows users to search which artists may have been included in AI training datasets. In SZA’s case, that reportedly includes 238 songs. Suno AI has been approached for comment regarding this.
“If your [sic] a musician and you support this degenerate shit ? Your DISGUSTING and there’s NOTHING YOU COULD EVER SAY TO ME TO MAKE THIS OKAY,” SZA wrote on Instagram.
Love Music?
Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian/New Zealand music and globally.
Diplo, however, doesn’t see the situation in the same way. In a follow-up message, he suggested the scale of AI training is already impacting artists across the board, including himself.
“Last I checked AI apps trained over 500 songs I made … that sucks but if one gets big I’ll claim my writing. Every artists will have that opportunity. What AI can’t do — is train on songs I am going to make and we need to keep pushing it forward not looking backwards. These AI models are remaking the same shit over and over. I’m always trying to make something I haven’t heard before,” he said.
He also pointed to the potential upside for artists who are able to navigate the space, referencing the viral trajectory of Stick Figure’s “Angels Above Us”.
@stickfiguremusic We wrote Angels Above Me back in 2019. This past weekend, an unauthorized dance remix of the song went completely viral on TikTok and has since become the #1 most downloaded song in almost every country in Europe, #3 on the worldwide viral charts, and the #2 most Shazamed song globally. It’s honestly been insane to watch. We didn’t authorize the remix, and we’ve been working to take down versions that didn’t properly credit us (still in progress). The remix will be back up on all streaming platforms tomorrow with proper credits and publishing in place, so for those who’ve been enjoying it…you’ll still be able to listen. Appreciate all the support, and hope people take a moment to enjoy the original that started it all. Much love #angelaboveme #angelsaboveme ♬ original sound – Stick Figure
An unauthorised dance remix of the reggae band’s 2019 song recently went viral, becoming the number one most downloaded song “in almost every song in Europe” and the number two most Shazamed song globally.
“The AI remix sucked but it blew his song up and he got his vocal on it and his listeners went from a few thousand to millions in a week. Then [David] Guetta remixed it,” Diplo explained. “I helped navigate him through that because if you’re a creator then you will get paid for being used on the LLM. You just need to be literate about it and be proactive.”
Still, his comments don’t exactly dismiss SZA’s concerns. Instead, they point to a much messier reality where the technology is already outpacing the rules around it. “If SZA uses the apps without copywriter protection she will be completely freaked out it’s even higher quality and it’s going to get impossible to decipher what’s real and not,” he said. “Suno and Udio are old to the kids using AI… the next ones are scary.”
From PEDESTRIAN.TV
