What Do you guys Really Think?

Is AI music the future of EDM, or are we losing something important along the way?

Artificial intelligence is changing the music industry. Today, independent creators can produce electronic dance music, experiment with new sounds and share their message with the world without necessarily needing an expensive studio, a record label or a team of professional musicians.

But as AI-generated music becomes more common, one question keeps coming up: What does the public really think about music created by artificial intelligence?

At AWTOMAI, where we use AI as a creative tool to produce EDM with a message, this is a question worth exploring.

The public is divided, but the picture is more complicated than you might think

It would be easy to assume that people either love AI music or hate it. The reality is more complicated.

Research published in recent years suggests that many listeners are willing to enjoy AI-generated music, while others have serious concerns about how it is created and what it means for human musicians.

A September 2025 survey by the Pew Research Center found that 58% of American adults would feel the same about a song they liked if they later discovered it had been created by AI. However, 38% said they would like it less.

An international survey conducted by Deezer and Ipsos in November 2025 revealed another side of the debate. Eighty percent of respondents supported clearly labelling fully AI-generated music, while 70% believed it posed a threat to the livelihoods of current and future musicians.

These findings reveal an important distinction: enjoying a song and agreeing with the way it was created are two different things.

Someone might enjoy a track’s melody, bassline, rhythm and energy without knowing or caring how it was produced. Another listener might feel differently once they discover that AI generated the music.

Neither reaction tells the whole story of what makes music meaningful to people.

Why are some people against AI-generated music?

There are several legitimate concerns behind the resistance.

1. The future of human musicians

Professional musicians, songwriters, vocalists and producers depend on music for their livelihoods. They understandably worry that companies could replace paid human creativity with cheaper, automated production.

This concern deserves serious consideration. AI should not become an excuse to disregard the work, skills and rights of people who have spent years developing their craft.

2. An internet flooded with generic music

AI makes it easier to generate large quantities of music. That creates opportunities for independent artists, but it also creates a risk of streaming platforms becoming saturated with repetitive, interchangeable tracks.

More music does not automatically mean better music.

The challenge for any artist using AI is to create something with a recognisable identity, a clear purpose and a reason for people to listen.

3. Copyright, consent and imitation

Another major concern is the use of existing recordings, compositions and artists’ voices to train or generate AI music without appropriate permission.

There is a meaningful difference between using AI as a creative tool and using it to imitate another artist in a way that misleads listeners or disregards their rights.

Transparency, responsible creation and respect for other artists should remain part of the conversation.

4. The question of authenticity

For many people, music is more than sound. It is an expression of personal experience, emotion, struggle, joy, faith and human connection.

Some listeners want to know that the person singing about heartbreak has experienced it, or that the songwriter has personally wrestled with the subject behind the lyrics.

AI-generated music challenges traditional ideas about authorship and authenticity. But it also raises a question worth asking: should we judge a song exclusively by the process used to create it, or should we also consider its message and the effect it has on the listener?

That question becomes especially important when music is created to communicate something meaningful.

What about South Africa?

The debate is not limited to international artists and record labels.

In April 2026, SAMRO reported findings from a survey of 502 music-industry members, predominantly based in South Africa. Sixty-five percent rated AI as a high or extreme threat to music creators’ livelihoods. At the same time, 51.2% believed AI could create opportunities for musicians.

These findings concern music-industry members, not the South African public as a whole. Nevertheless, they illustrate the tension within the industry: AI presents both risks and opportunities.

For independent South African artists, AI can reduce certain production barriers and make experimentation more accessible. Artists working in EDM, Gqom, Afro-house and other electronic genres can explore new combinations of sounds and reach audiences without following every traditional route into the music industry.

The important question is how these tools are used.

The post AI-Generated Music: What Does the Public Really Think? | AWTOMAI first appeared on AwTomAi.