Victoria Monét is another artist who is against the music industry making space for AI-generated artists. AI R&B singer Xania Monet has become a topic of conversation since landing her $3 million record deal in September.
As Blavity reported, her single “How Was I Supposed to Know?” from her EP Unfolded, along with other tracks from the project, helped build her fanbase and charted on Billboard’s R&B Digital Song Sales chart. Others like Khalid, SZA, Kehlani and Morgan Freeman have spoken out against AI, with Monét being the latest to speak out against the use of AI.
How does Victoria Monét feel about AI singer Xania Monet?
During Monét’s interview with Vanity Fair, she shared that Xania Monet may cause confusion.
“It’s hard to comprehend that, within a prompt, my name was not used for this artist to capitalize on,” she told Vanity Fair. “I don’t support that. I don’t think that’s fair. When that name starts to ring bells in a certain way, it can easily be mixed up with my brand. It’s not ideal.”
“It definitely puts creators in a dangerous spot because our time is more finite,” the Grammy winner added. “We have to rest at night. So, the eight hours, nine hours that we’re resting, an AI artist could potentially still be running, studying, and creating songs like a machine. How would any human ever compete with that?”
Monét also suggested that AI artists “should be labeled ‘artificial,’ the same way that food is.”
“We’re introducing a tool with a lot of potential, but without the guidelines to protect the people who may be affected by it the most, which would be the creators,” she said.
The creator of AI singer Xania Monet is unwavering about using AI in the music industry
In a recent interview with Gayle King, poet Telisha “Nikki” Jones, who is the woman behind Xania Monet, said she feels that the AI singer is an extension of herself. King quickly shut that down, saying she “can’t sing” though.
“I wanted to reveal myself because I wanted people to know there was a real person behind Xania,” Jones said. “That there’s real emotion and soul put into those lyrics.”
Jones added that she understood that being at the forefront of innovation can attract criticism, but that everything evolves.
“Any time something new comes about and it challenges the norm and challenges what we’re used to, you’re going to get strong reactions behind it,” Jones said in response to the backlash Xania Monet has received. “And I just feel like AI is the new era that we’re in, and I look at it as a tool, as a instrument…utilize it.”