SZA condemns AI music after discovering 238 songs used in training without consent

SZA Discovers Hundreds of Songs Used in AI Training

Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter SZA has intensified her criticism of AI music after discovering that 238 of her songs were used to train AI models, some of which are unreleased tracks 1

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. The 36-year-old artist behind hits like 'Kill Bill' and 'Luther' shared the results of a search on an AI music database via Instagram Stories, revealing the extent to which her work has been incorporated into AI music generation systems without consent 2

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. "If you're a musician and you support this degenerate shit? You're disgusting and there's NOTHING YOU COULD EVER SAY TO ME TO MAKE THIS OKAY," she wrote, directing her anger at both AI companies and fellow artists who support these technologies 1

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Targeting Suno and Diplo Over Exploitation of Black Artists

SZA took specific aim at Suno, one of the most-used generative AI music tools in the world, and producer Diplo, whom she identified as having equity in the company 1

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. In a post to her private Instagram account, she wrote: "Diplo has equity in Suno and is actively attempting to train it on the best and brightest Black minds of writers and producers" 2

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. While Diplo has no clear public ties to Suno, the Wall Street Journal named him as an investor in the billion-dollar AI startup Aaru in March 2

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. Her criticism highlights the exploitation of Black musicians and the disproportionate use of their creative output in AI models trained on songs. "We make up 13% of the American population yet influence the world with our sound and perspective. I AINT HEARD A WHITE AI SONG YET," she stated, pointing to the racial dynamics at play in AI music generation 2

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Legal Protections for Artists and Fair Use Debate

The controversy around Suno intensified in 2024 when three major record labels sued both Suno and Udio, another music-based generative AI model, accusing them of "trampling the rights of copyright owners" 2

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. In response, Suno argued that its use of copyrighted music to train its model is legal under fair use doctrine 2

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. Last week, Suno's chief product officer Jack Brody defended the platform on LinkedIn, stating: "Our philosophy has always been that AI should help people create new music, not replicate someone else's" 1

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. He emphasized that the company built protections into its platform, including partnerships with industry-standard providers like Audible Magic, Musixmatch, and ACRCloud to identify and prevent misuse 1

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. However, SZA's discovery underscores the lack of legal protections for artists in the face of rapidly advancing AI music tools. "We have no protection in legislature medical or creative. The easiest to steal from," she wrote 1

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Ethical Implications of AI and Environmental Racism

This isn't the first time SZA has spoken out against AI. In March, she told i-D Magazine: "I feel like I'm at war because of AI. It's happening disproportionately with Black music" 1

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. She has also connected AI to broader issues of environmental racism, urging people to consider the environmental impact of AI systems. "Please Google how much energy and pollution it takes to run AI... Please Google the beautiful Black cities like Memphis that are SUFFERING because of Twitter's new AI system," she wrote last year 1

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. The ethical implications of AI extend beyond creative theft to include excessive water usage and pollution in underserved communities. "AI doesn't give a fuck if you live or die I promise. THERE IS A PRICE FOR CONVENIENCE AND BLACK AND BROWN WILL PAY THE BRUNT OF IT EVERYTIME," she stated 2

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. Her comments come as Diplo went viral in April for suggesting that creatives should "adapt or just like give up and become an uber driver" in the face of AI's inevitability 2

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. Throughout his career, Diplo has faced accusations of cultural appropriation, acknowledging in a 2018 Guardian interview that being "considered exploitative" is "a small price to pay" for his privilege as a middle-class white American 2

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. SZA's urgent call to Black musicians—"DO NOT GIVE AWAY YOUR VIBRANIUM !!! DO NOT TRAIN AI WITH YOUR GENIUS"—reflects growing concern about who benefits from AI innovation and who bears its costs 1

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