MUSIC * A.I. MUNCH : STUDENTS GLOBAL ESSAY

ARE YOU listening to bots? AI music is virtually undetectable as industry faces regulatory and economic pressures.

A staggering 97% of listeners cannot distinguish between artificial intelligence - generated and human composed songs, a Deezer Ipsos survey revealed recently, highlighting rising concerns over the impact of AI on music creation, consumption and monetisation.

The survey, which polled 9,000 participants  across eight countries including the UK, US and France, found that 73% of listeners support  clear labelling of AI tracks, 45% want filtering options, and 40% said they would skip AI-generated songs entirely.

Deezer, which has 9.7 million subscribers, reported that daily AI submissions have surged to over 50,000, roughly a third of total uploads.

The findings underline ethical and commercial pressures that the UK music industry is currently investigating.

Britain's music sector contributed Pound 8 billion [ $ 10.5 billion ] to the UK economy in 2024, supported by high profile domestic tours from artists like Taylor Swift and Take That, and international hits from Charlie XCX and Lola Young.

However, growth has slowed compared with the post-Covid boom, raising concerns over the sector's resilience. Tom Kiehl, chief executive of  UK Music, the industry umbrella body, urged urgent government action, particularly on AI regulation and easing EU touring restrictions.

'' The government will be judged on the progress it makes in regulating artificial intelligence and unlocking EU touring,'' he said.

The report highlighted ongoing Brexit impacts,  including higher touring costs, bureaucratic hurdles, and fewer EU clients booking UK studios.

AI's rise adds further uncertainty. Two-thirds of  surveyed music creators said AI threatened their careers, while 90% demanded protections against unauthorised use of their work,

This important Music essay on AI and the Future, continues. The World Students Society thanks Agencies.