The conversation around the use of AI in music has been a complicated one. There are varying opinions on the matter, with some people feeling like it’s a threat to human creativity, while others feel like it’s just a helpful production tool.
Now, Mikey Shulman, co-founder of AI music company Suno, has weighed in on the situation. His take? The use of AI in modern music production is like the use of Ozempic in weight loss… “Everybody is on it and nobody wants to talk about it.”
In a new interview with The Guardian, the CEO stated that he sees software like that created by his company as something that “pushes music forward.” He also feels it creates an environment so “new people get discovered” and “new genres get invented.”
Suno has a deal in place with Warner Music Group, but the company is still in negotiations with other labels
“We train our models on medium- and high-quality music we can find on the open internet,” Shulman went on to say of Suno’s software. After being asked what constitutes “open internet” concerning copyrighted material, he replied: “Copyright is a different thing. I can’t get into too many specifics because there is active legal stuff going on, and also some of it is trade secrets.”
Shulman also offered a subjective take on the idea of “AI slop,” sharing a personal example from his home life. “I made a really funny song with my four-year-old yesterday morning. That is ‘slop’ to you – you don’t care about it – but I love it. It’s fantastic.”
Next, the CEO explained that he sees Suno software as a way for musicians to bypass certain production demands. “I think the majority of people don’t enjoy the majority of the time they spend making music,” he said. “When you get people one-on-one, they’re just more comfortable admitting it.”
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“It was described to me that we’re the Ozempic of the music industry,” he continued. “Everybody is on it, and nobody wants to talk about it.”
Finally, Shulman was asked his thoughts on the “1,000 hours” concept as it relates to musicians. The term was coined by author Malcolm Gladwell in his Outliers book. The idea is that a person must spend 1,000 hours on their craft to master it. Shulman confirmed he still believes that artists need to put in the time and effort to create their art, and that Suno would not impact this necessity.
“I think people will (still) have to spend 10,000 hours,” Shulman replied. “They may be doing different things and practising different skills, but they will certainly need to spend 10,000 hours to make the best music in the world.”