As artificial intelligence has grown more capable over the last few years, Spotify has been adding AI features to its app. From AI playlists to DJs, Spotify is betting its money on artificial intelligence. Additionally, Spotify’s new AI disclosure policies prompt AI aficionados to create AI music of their own. Spotify’s recommendations do not distinguish between human and AI artists, misleading listeners who expect exclusively human-made music. As a result, some tracks by these artificial artists have topped charts in specific categories, like dance and gospel. While integration with artificial intelligence can benefit the platform, the platform’s overuse of AI is tarnishing the listening experience.
Spotify’s user interface is riddled with AI features. One of its oldest and most popular AI features, DJ X, is a radio station powered by a learning model that tracks your listening history and tailors your listening to songs DJ X “thinks” you will enjoy. Spotify’s AI playlist is a premium feature that turns chat prompts into a personalized playlist. While these features might seem exciting, they are quite gimmicky. DJ X serves as a glorified “smart shuffle” that interrupts between songs to let you know he’s “going to change the vibe up a little bit.” Artificial intelligence will never be able to determine what a listener is looking for in a playlist, because an enjoyable playlist will reflect the creator’s personal curation of their taste. While these features only affect Spotify users, their public embrace of AI affects listeners across platforms.
Spotify’s policies on AI make it clear that it welcomes both AI-generated and human-made music on its platform. Its new spam filter deletes exploitative uses of AI, like mass uploads or duplicates, to discourage fraudulent creators. While this filters out the AI slop, Spotify still recommends a plethora of AI artists to users en masse. Many of these artists garnered a surprisingly large audience, so large that Solomon Ray, an AI Christian gospel artist, took both first and second spots on Billboard’s gospel charts. While the creator of Solomon Ray, Christopher Topher, is open about his use of AI, many listeners of these artists may not realize where the music is really coming from. This can harm the listener’s experience, as music is supposed to serve as a connection between listeners and the artist’s mind.
While some may enjoy artificially generated music, the vast majority of people prefer the personal touch and care that comes with a human artist. Music is a tool for connection, one that invests listeners in the story told through lyrics, instruments and rhythm. The artist’s character can be poured into the music, but AI has no real character, as it is a program, not a person. Where human music can come from a person filled with woe, trauma or joy, artificial intelligence has no real experiences to pull true emotion from, a caveat that leaves the music feeling soulless.
As AI artists gain popularity, Spotify has begun including AI tracks in listeners’ recommendations. Without any clear indication that these tracks are AI-generated, listeners may feel disheartened when they realize that they aren’t listening to a person, but a bot. With many listeners feeling misled by their recommendations, users have started accusing Spotify of creating its own AI artists and peddling them to users.
Spotify’s recommendations to users show clear signs of low effort use of AI on their platform. Many users report that artists will be recommended to them who have no sound that aligns with their taste, despite Spotify’s efforts to curate based on the user’s taste. Additionally, the artist’s listener count will be low, and they will have no social media presence. These reports have left a sour taste in listeners’ mouths, with criticism of Spotify’s AI implementations gaining traction on social platforms. Spotify’s use of AI reminds users of other companies that have gone down a similar path. When Duolingo took a similar approach, integrating AI into their translation courses, criticisms similar to Spotify’s were flying across social media, tarnishing their reputation.
Spotify’s flagrant overuse of AI is turning users against their app. The AI-powered features are underwhelming to listeners looking for a personalized experience. Protecting AI creators harms Spotify’s own algorithms, confusing some listeners and offending others. The public has already turned to social media, asking Spotify to take down AI artists or remove AI-powered features. Spotify’s sharp turn to artificial intelligence is shaking up all its users, who may start looking for the exit. As more listeners voice their concerns about AI, it seems clear that artificial intelligence will continue to struggle to be accepted in the listening space.
Photo Caption: Artificial intelligence puts a damper on the listening experience.
Photo Credit: Techivation / Unsplash
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