Kelly Clarkson wants AI musicians on separate chart

Kelly Clarkson says she is excited by some of the possibilities of artificial intelligence but does not want AI-generated performers competing directly against human musicians on the same charts.

The singer discussed the rapidly changing technology during the 30 September episode of the Las Culturistas podcast, taking a more welcoming position on AI than many major artists while still drawing a clear line around competition.

Clarkson said she is interested in AI and believes the technology can have a place in creativity. Her concern begins when entirely artificial performers are measured against musicians whose voices, careers and performances are human.

Could AI music get its own chart?

Clarkson suggested one possible solution would be separate charts for AI-generated artists.

She compared the situation to sport, arguing that machines would not normally be expected to compete directly against human athletes. In the same way, she questioned whether artificially generated performers should compete for exactly the same music-chart positions as people.

It is an increasingly relevant question as convincing AI-generated songs reach streaming services and artificial artists begin attracting genuine listeners.

Clarkson also pointed out that technology influencing music itself is nothing new. Production software, pitch correction and digital tools have been part of recording for years, meaning the argument is not simply about choosing between technology and completely technology-free music.

Where should the line be drawn?

The harder question is how much human involvement is enough.

An artist might use AI to suggest lyrics or develop an arrangement while still singing and making the creative decisions themselves. At the other extreme, a track, voice and fictional performer could all be generated artificially.

Clarkson appears comfortable with AI joining the creative toolbox. She simply does not believe that means the industry should pretend there is no difference between an AI-generated performer and the human artists already competing for listeners.

Image credits:BBC/The voice