The debate over the use of AI in music continues to rage. Now Breland, one of country music’s rising stars, has come out against it and said that songs that use AI should be labelled as such.
Breland (his real name’s Daniel Breland, but like Morrissey, he prefers to be known mononymously) was talking on Rolling Stone’s Nashville Now podcast
“AI is out of control,” he suggested. “If you’re trying to solve global crises and you’re using AI to do that, I’m sure we could probably justify it. Anything else, we’re just tearing the planet apart.
"When it comes to AI and music, to me, music is such an innately human experience… So, if we’re going to take something that humans have been doing exclusively for tens of thousands of years, and is as integral as it is… how on earth would we be comfortable with that process being automated, and taking the humanity out of it?
“And how have we as a music industry allowed this to happen without putting in all the reasonable guardrails and boundaries that we should have? People were all asleep at the wheel. But no, I think people were very actively steering the wheel to drive profits.
"You look at Suno and all of these big music creation AIs and who are their biggest investors? It’s the record labels and the publishing companies: the people who are supposed to have our best interests at heart! Prove it – divest.”
He does have some interesting solutions though: “My proposal is this: One, I think that AI songs should be labelled as such. And secondly, I think that the revenue from AI songs should go toward grants and scholarships for up-and-coming creatives,” he says.
“You’re going to make money off of something that you didn’t do? You’re not a songwriter, so if you’re not a songwriter, and you’re not a producer and you’re not an artist, then I don’t think that you should be entitled to publishing on a song.
“And if whoever it is that’s putting that song out isn’t human and can’t actually make any of that money itself,” he continues, “that money should be sprinkled to actual people who want to do something good with it.”
Breland first came to prominence back in 2019 with his debut single My Trucks. He’s known for cross-pollinating country with hip-hop, soul and gospel so his 2022 debut album came with an appropriate (and brilliant) title: Cross Country.
As you can tell from the clip above, he’s a thoughtful, articulate fellow who also has some interesting views on diversity in country music and Keith Urban’s recent decision to play a private show at Mar-a-Lago for Donald Trump.
