![The recent rise in popularity of the song “I Run” by Haven raises controversies over the ethics behind AI usage in music production and the meaning of music. “Those lived experiences and those opinions of humans and people that create that art are what creates true meaning and makes art so special,” instrumental music director Matthew Distante said. “[Using AI] takes the soulful part of music and makes it soulless. It kind of subtracts that out and just turns it into notes and rhythms."](https://portolapilot.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Untitled-25-1200x900.png)
The EDM track “I Run” by British electronic pop duo Haven became a viral sensation, hitting almost 100 million plays on TikTok before even being released on streaming platforms in October. However, the use of AI in this song eliminates the human emotion that gives music its purpose, so music artists should not turn to turn to AI to shortcut the creative process
The song’s sudden rise in popularity prompted listeners to scrutinize the track more intently, raising controversies. Fans noticed that the voice of the uncredited female vocalist sounded similar to singer-songwriter Jorja Smith’s, but with a robotic undertone. The song’s popularity raises questions about what the future holds for songwriting and production, according to choir student and junior Shreya Suresh.
“People actually put time and effort into making music, and they put their own personal experiences,” Suresh said. “AI music charting higher than genuine artists on the Billboard is definitely not fair, because no one actually put any effort into that, other than maybe, an hour of actually producing the song.”
Over thousands of years, music has long held deep historical and cultural significance as a universal form of human expression. When music is AI generated, the very purpose of music, a way for humans to pass down raw feelings, starts to erode and begins to lose its value. Something that was once crafted through personal and cultural experiences becomes something mass-manufactured, stripping music of the intention that gives it its value.
“Music is really just about expressing yourself through a medium,” Jauhri said. “It’s not like AI is a sentient being; it doesn’t have consciousness, so therefore it doesn’t feel any feelings. So, I mean, it defeats the whole purpose of music as a whole.
Nevertheless, some artists may argue that AI-generated music is a new tool that is a part of artistic evolution. Technology such as Auto-Tune and sampling machines were once new and controversial, but are now normalized in music production and consumption, according to Voltage Control. However, there is a key difference between AI and current music technology. Tools like Auto-Tune rely on human voices, while AI analyzes mass amounts of data to create new musical ideas and variations in a matter of seconds, according to Musicians Institute.
“I think something that would be really beneficial to help regulate [AI] in the music industry would be some sort of parameter that explains when a certain song or a certain artist is AI generated,” instrumental music director Matthew Distante said. “Having some clear markings would also help make it so that it is seen in the music industry that music is still something that is predominantly made by people and for people.”
AI is often used for experimenting or learning, but it is not a replacement for human voices. Artists and producers must create authentic, human-made music that embraces the lived experiences and creative process that only real artists can bring to life.
