Through the use of applications such as Suno, AI-generated musical composition has become an accessible, and hotly debated, possibility (Nugroho and Manggala, 2024). Debates surrounding these generative tools commonly cover the environmental impact of AI use, the moral and creative experience of the individual using the tool, and the effect that these tools have on the music industries and livelihoods of current musicians. An important factor to consider, especially regarding the latter point, is how a current musician’s musical output may be used by these tools - whether or not this use is consensual.
Reflecting on my autoethnographic experience as an active YouTube musician, Things We Never Say refers to an AI-generated album of remixes of my musical works sent to me anonymously, alongside three generated album covers using my image without my permission.
The presentation seeks to analyse these files, explore the personal response resulting from the files, and place the experience within the wider context of seemingly uncontrollable AI-generated musical content. Through conducting these analyses, the presentation seeks to provide a first-hand, realistic insight into the consequences of non-consensual generative AI use, and highlight the risks associated with the applications that make this possible.
