Online Archive of University of Virginia Scholarship
The Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Music Making118 views
Author
Medam, Aryan, School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia
Advisors
Seabrook, Bryn, University of Virginia
Abstract
My STS paper explores the impact of Generative AI on music creation, using the Social Construction of Technology (SCOT) framework, which sees technology as shaped by societal values. I discuss how AI models like Suno and Udio generate music, often using copyrighted works without consent, raising major legal and ethical issues. Historically, randomness and probability in music (e.g., Brian Eno, aleatoric composers) have parallels to today's AI, but key differences exist since AI users often cannot control or understand the underlying processes. In the paper I critique AI’s current musical capabilities: while able to produce sub-par pop music, models struggle with emotional depth, long-form structure, and nuanced genre-specific tasks.
Degree
BS (Bachelor of Science)
Keywords
AI and Music; Social Construction of Technology; Generative AI
Medam, Aryan. The Impacts of Artificial Intelligence on Music Making. University of Virginia, School of Engineering and Applied Science, BS (Bachelor of Science), 2025-05-08, https://doi.org/10.18130/z5yp-vd81.
