AI technology has been encroaching more and more into the creative space in recent years. With so many companies announcing efforts to integrate AI technology into their business practices, artists of all kinds are growing fearful that they will be put out of work. In the music industry, the threat of AI is ever-present. Covers and even original music using generative AI technology have become commonplace on social media sites like TikTok. Spotify has allowed AI music to be streamed on its platform, with multiple artists having a steady amount of monthly listeners.
Thankfully, Bandcamp has made itself one of the few music platforms to take a strict stance against generative AI. On Wednesday, the music platform announced a complete ban on AI music. According to Bandcamp, music and audio that is entirely or partially generated using AI will not be allowed on its platform.
The statement centers Bandcamp as a platform that supports and protects human music artists. It is a stance that more and more artists should look forward to and even urge music companies to stand by in the coming years.
Human creativity continues to be something that generative AI can never replicate and is on the track of being lost if companies continue to support these technologies. Companies that gravitate towards generative AI don’t care about the craft of art; they only care about what is serviceable and what will make them a profit.
Consumers and artists alike have a duty and an avenue to push companies away from AI, and Bandcamp might just be the greatest example to point towards.
