Imagine discovering that the songs you’ve been bopping along to on the radio were not created by a human, but by artificial intelligence (AI).
Would it make you change the channel or does it even matter how a song was created as long as you enjoy it?
AI-generated songs with a distinctly Northern Ireland theme have been listened to hundreds of thousands of times on social media recently, and have divided opinion after being aired on local commercial radio.
The songs have since been removed from playlists after intense online debate.
The creators say they are a form of art and a new way for people to express themselves, but some writers, musicians and artists have pushed back against the technology.
‘Musicians are leaving the industry because of AI’
After almost two decades in the music industry, Paul Connolly said he feels “angry and deflated” at the development of AI-generated music, which he said is a “slap in the face to artists whose job it is to help us make sense of the world”.
“We’re seeing a lot of difficulty in authentic artists getting heard more than ever, and that’s because they can’t cut through the noise of AI,” he said.
Connolly is a songwriter and lead singer of alternative-punk band The Wood Burning Savages.
He also provides music workshops for people of all ages, but said there are now fewer opportunities than ever for musicians to gig, and get their songs on the radio.
“We’re seeing AI music creeping into the charts now across streaming platforms, for that reason, we’re seeing artists beginning to devalue themselves and leave this industry.”
Connolly said he did not agree with streaming services and radio stations giving a platform to AI-generated music.
He added: “AI cannot comfort us and it can’t inspire the next generation of songwriters.
“Music is how we decorate the time that we’re on earth, and if you’re decorating it with AI, then it’s a tacky wall that you’ve created.
“Music is food for the soul, and AI is just a takeaway for the arteries.”
‘My AI music has my story behind it, I don’t just press buttons’
In 2025, Oliver McCann became the first AI music designer to sign with a traditional record label.
He doesn’t believe what he does is about “replacing artists”, but rather “expanding what is possible”.
“AI handles what used to take a room full of people and a six figure studio budget, so I can move faster and stay focused on the story and emotional core of the song,” he said.
McCann, who has a background as a visual designer, started experimenting with AI to see if it could bring his “lyrics to life”.
He signed with independent record label Hallwood Media after one of his tracks racked up 3 million streams on AI streaming service, Suno.
“Building a career on today’s streaming model feels like manufacturing CDs the week before the iPod dropped. I’m watching where the future is actually being built,” he said.
McCann argues that radio had always been guided by a single principle and that is whether a song connects with listeners.
“That hasn’t evolved,” he said, adding that while the tools musicians use continue to change, the core relationship between artist and audience remains the same.
He said he understands concerns surrounding the use of AI in music, agreeing with the wider sentiment that the human creative process is “sacred”.
“My music has my story behind it,” he said.
“There’s a big difference between an artist using this technology with intention and someone just pressing a button. I don’t press buttons.”
What are streaming platforms doing about AI?
There is currently no legal obligation for streaming platforms to label AI-generated songs, despite increasing calls for them to signpost such tracks.
Spotify has made some concessions to address concerns.
In April it launched a test feature which shows in the credits of a song, how an artist used AI. But it’s a voluntary system based on what an artist tells their record label or distributor.
The streaming platform Deezer uses an AI detection tool, as well as a system which tags AI-generated music.
Deezer says its detection system can flag tracks made with the most prolific AI music creation tools, and is working on expanding its ability to detect music made by others.
Apple Music requires that labels and distributors transparently declare the use of AI in their uploads.
Instead of a blanket ban, Apple mandates the use of ‘transparency tags’ in its metadata to flag whether artificial intelligence was used to create a track or video.
