There is now clearly going to be a widening divide between music made by humans and music created with the involvement of Artificial Intelligence. The year of radical public awareness of this shift will probably be 2026. All of us who have worked in, with, or for music will know that everything from our lifetime before that point was real – or at least conceived and controlled entirely by humans. Its value will rise and rise. We, including our children, will look back at music from the ’50s, ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s, 2000s, and 2010s as genuine art – valuable for eternity. There is simply no comparison. You can compose and create whatever you want now, instruct a DAW or AI tool to generate something sounding like X, Y, or Z – but it will prove extremely hard to compete with what we all know for certain was real human music composition, with all its quirks, imperfections, and irregularities.
Yes, you could argue that electronic music was already non-human in some sense – but even then, humans remained in full control of every creative decision throughout the entire process. An arpeggio generated by an old Casio keyboard might be called artificial, yet a human still decided where to place it, which sounds to trigger, and how to weave it together – most often alongside a human voice or an acoustic instrument.

The first widely recognised AI-generated pop song – “Daddy’s Car”, produced by Sony CSL’s Flow Machines system – was released in 2016, even though a human still wrote the lyrics for it. Coincidentally, this first AI-track arrived at the tail end of a period that had already claimed a remarkable number of the music world’s most beloved figures:

David Bowie (69) – Rock icon and innovator, died January 10, 2016, in New York from liver cancer, just days after releasing his final album Blackstar.
Prince (57) – Legendary singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist, died April 21, 2016, in Minnesota from an accidental fentanyl overdose.
George Michael (53) – Pop superstar (Wham!), died December 25, 2016, in England from heart failure.
Glenn Frey (67) – Founding member of The Eagles, died January 18, 2016, in New York from complications of rheumatoid arthritis and pneumonia.
Leonard Cohen (82) – Poet and singer-songwriter (“Hallelujah”), died November 7, 2016, in Los Angeles from cancer.
B.B. King (89) – Legendary blues guitarist and singer (“The King of the Blues”), died May 14, 2015, in Las Vegas from vascular dementia.
Lemmy Kilmister (70) – Frontman of Motörhead, died December 28, 2015, in Los Angeles from prostate cancer and heart failure.
Merle Haggard (79) – Country music legend, died April 6, 2016, in California from pneumonia.
Maurice White (74) – Founder and leader of Earth, Wind & Fire, died February 4, 2016, in Los Angeles from Parkinson’s disease.
Natalie Cole (65) – Grammy-winning singer (“Unforgettable”), died December 31, 2015, in Los Angeles from congestive heart failure.
Ben E. King (76) – Soul/R&B legend (“Stand by Me”), died April 30, 2015, in New Jersey from natural causes.
Scott Weiland (48) – Singer of Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver, died December 3, 2015, in Minnesota from a drug overdose.
James Horner (61) – Oscar-winning film composer (“Titanic,” “Avatar”), died June 22, 2015, in a plane crash in California.
Greg Lake (69) – Singer and bassist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer and King Crimson, died December 7, 2016, in London from cancer.
Keith Emerson (71) – Keyboardist of Emerson, Lake & Palmer, died March 10, 2016, in California by suicide.
Chris Squire (67) – Bassist and founding member of Yes, died June 27, 2015, in Arizona from acute erythroid leukemia.
Percy Sledge (74) – Soul singer (“When a Man Loves a Woman”), died April 14, 2015, in Louisiana from liver cancer.
Ornette Coleman (85) – Jazz saxophonist and free jazz pioneer, died June 11, 2015, in New York from cardiac arrest.
Allen Toussaint (77) – New Orleans R&B legend and producer, died November 10, 2015, in Madrid from a heart attack.
Cilla Black (72) – British pop singer and TV star, died August 1, 2015, in Spain from a stroke after a fall.
Phife Dawg (45) – Rapper of A Tribe Called Quest, died March 22, 2016.
Sharon Jones (60) – Soul/funk singer (Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings), died November 18, 2016, in New York from pancreatic cancer.
Lynn Anderson (67) – Country singer (“Rose Garden”), died July 31, 2015, in Nashville from a heart attack.
Lesley Gore (68) – Pop singer known for “It’s My Party,” died February 16, 2015, in Manhattan from lung cancer.
Errol Brown (71) – Lead singer of Hot Chocolate, died May 6, 2015, in the Bahamas from liver cancer.
Billy Paul (81) – Soul singer (“Me and Mrs. Jones”), died April 24, 2015, in New Jersey from pancreatic cancer.
Joan Sebastian (64) – Mexican ranchera and pop singer, died July 13, 2015, in Mexico from bone cancer.
P.F. Sloan (70) – Singer-songwriter (“Eve of Destruction”), died November 15, 2015, in Los Angeles from pancreatic cancer.
Demis Roussos (68) – Greek pop/rock singer (Aphrodite’s Child), died January 25, 2015, in Athens from cancer.
Clark Terry (94) – Jazz trumpeter and educator, died February 21, 2015, in Arkansas from diabetes.
Phil Woods (83) – Jazz saxophonist, died September 29, 2015, in Pennsylvania from emphysema.
Andraé Crouch (72) – Gospel music pioneer and producer, died January 8, 2015, in Los Angeles.
Gary Richrath (65) – Guitarist of REO Speedwagon, died September 13, 2015.
Cory Wells (74) – Singer of Three Dog Night, died October 20, 2015, in New York from complications of multiple myeloma.
Jack Ely (71) – Lead singer of The Kingsmen (“Louie Louie”), died April 27, 2015, in Oregon.
Bob Johnston (83) – Legendary record producer (Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash), died August 14, 2015, in Nashville.
Mike Porcaro (59) – Bassist of Toto, died March 15, 2015, in Los Angeles from ALS.
Cristiano Araújo (29) – Brazilian sertanejo singer, died June 24, 2015, in a car crash in Brazil.
Little Jimmy Dickens (94) – Country music star, died January 2, 2015, in Nashville from heart failure.
Pino Daniele (59) – Italian rock and blues singer, died January 4, 2015, in Rome from a heart attack.
Louis Johnson (60) – Bassist of The Brothers Johnson, died May 21, 2015, in Las Vegas from gastrointestinal bleeding.
Wilton Felder (75) – Jazz/funk bassist (The Crusaders), died September 27, 2015, in California from multiple myeloma.
Kim Fowley (75) – Rock producer and manager of The Runaways, died January 15, 2015, in Los Angeles from bladder cancer.
John Renbourn (70) – Folk guitarist (Pentangle), died March 26, 2015, in Scotland from a heart attack.
Andy Fraser (62) – Bassist of Free (“All Right Now”), died March 16, 2015, in California from AIDS-related illness.
Steve Strange (55) – New Wave singer (Visage), died February 12, 2015, in Egypt from a heart attack.
Jim Diamond (64) – Scottish singer (“I Should Have Known Better”), died October 8, 2015, in London from pulmonary edema.
Frankie Ford (76) – Rock and roll singer (“Sea Cruise”), died September 28, 2015, in Louisiana from natural causes.
Michael Masser (74) – Songwriter and producer (“Greatest Love of All”), died July 9, 2015, in California.
Lew Soloff (71) – Trumpeter (Blood, Sweat & Tears), died March 8, 2015, in New York from a heart attack.
Sam Andrew (73) – Guitarist of Big Brother and the Holding Company, died February 12, 2015, in San Francisco after heart surgery.
Dallas Taylor (66) – Drummer for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, died January 18, 2015, in Los Angeles from cancer.
John Bradbury (62) – Drummer of The Specials, died December 28, 2015.
Cynthia Robinson (69) – Trumpeter and vocalist of Sly and the Family Stone, died November 23, 2015, in California from cancer.
Phil Taylor (61) – Drummer of Motörhead, died November 11, 2015, in England from liver disease.
Theodore Bikel (91) – Folk singer and actor, died July 21, 2015, in Los Angeles.
Jimmy Greenspoon (67) – Keyboardist of Three Dog Night, died March 11, 2015, in Maryland from melanoma.
Stevie Wright (68) – Singer of The Easybeats, died December 27, 2015, in Australia from pneumonia.
Ernie Maresca (76) – Singer and songwriter (The Regents), died July 8, 2015, in Florida.
Johnny Kemp (55) – R&B singer (“Just Got Paid”), died April 16, 2015, in Jamaica.
Bob Burns (64) – Drummer of Lynyrd Skynyrd, died April 3, 2015, in Georgia in a traffic accident.
Craig Gruber (63) – Bassist of Rainbow and Elf, died May 5, 2015, in Florida from prostate cancer.
Buddy Buie (74) – Songwriter and producer (Atlanta Rhythm Section), died July 18, 2015, in Alabama from a heart attack.
Eddie Hardin (66) – Keyboardist (The Spencer Davis Group), died July 22, 2015, from a heart attack.
Sean Price (43) – Rapper (Boot Camp Clik, Heltah Skeltah), died August 8, 2015, in New York.
Hussein Fatal (42) – Rapper (Outlawz), died July 10, 2015, in Georgia in a car crash.
Dieter Moebius (71) – Electronic musician (Cluster, Harmonia), died July 20, 2015, from cancer.
Dave Somerville (81) – Lead singer of The Diamonds, died July 14, 2015, in California from cancer.
Ronnie Bright (77) – Bass vocalist (The Coasters, The Cadillacs), died November 26, 2015.
Bryn Merrick (56) – Bassist of The Damned, died September 12, 2015, in Wales from cancer.
Eric Wrixon (68) – Founding member of Thin Lizzy, died July 13, 2015, in Italy.
Guy LeBlanc (54) – Keyboardist of Camel, died April 27, 2015, from kidney cancer.
Danny Sembello (52) – Songwriter and producer (“Neutron Dance” for The Pointer Sisters), died August 15, 2015, near Philadelphia by drowning.
Andy White (85) – Session drummer who briefly played with The Beatles, died November 9, 2015, in New Jersey from a stroke.
Billy Joe Royal (73) – Country and pop singer, died October 6, 2015, in North Carolina from natural causes.
Robbin Thompson (66) – Rock singer and songwriter, died October 10, 2015, in Virginia from cancer.
Wayne Bickerton (74) – Songwriter and producer, died November 29, 2015, in England.
Smokey Wilson (79) – Blues guitarist and singer, died September 8, 2015, in Los Angeles.
Smokin’ Joe Kubek (58) – Blues guitarist, died October 11, 2015, from a heart attack.
Steve Mackay (66) – Saxophonist of The Stooges, died October 10, 2015, in California from sepsis.
Frank Watkins (47) – Bassist (Obituary, Gorgoroth), died October 18, 2015, from cancer.
Wally Lester (73) – Singer of The Skyliners, died April 21, 2015, in North Carolina from pancreatic cancer.
Mitch Aliotta (71) – Singer (Rotary Connection), died July 22, 2015, from COPD.
Eddie Hoh (71) – Session drummer (The Mamas & the Papas, The Monkees), died November 7, 2015, in Illinois.
Dennis Sheehan (68) – Longtime tour manager for U2, died May 26, 2015, in California from a heart attack.
Rainer Bloss (69) – Keyboardist (Klaus Schulze), died December 10, 2015.
Kirill Pokrovsky (53) – Russian rock musician (Aria, Master), died June 1, 2015, in Belgium.
Kelvin Knight (56) – Drummer of Delta 5, died December 2, 2015, from liver and kidney failure.
Ben Cauley (67) – Trumpeter of The Bar-Kays, died September 21, 2015, in Memphis.
David Masondo (65) – Lead singer of The Soul Brothers, died July 15, 2015, in South Africa.
David Van Landing (51) – Rock vocalist (Michael Schenker Group), died November 17, 2015, in Florida in a car accident.
Bruce Nazarian (66) – Rock musician (Brownsville Station), died October 9, 2015, in Michigan from a heart attack.
Bonnie Lou (91) – Country and rockabilly singer, died December 8, 2015, in Ohio from dementia.
Big Time Sarah (62) – Blues singer, died June 13, 2015, in Chicago from heart complications.
Zemya Hamilton (50) – Singer (Clubland), died December 23, 2015, in Sweden from multiple sclerosis.

Most people do not yet fully understand how it feels to engage with AI-generated art – the quiet unease of not knowing who or what actually created it. Do we want to have to question that? Or do we want to simply enjoy music, certain that it came from a human being? That emotional divide will only deepen. I doubt we want to be forced into indifference about it, or compelled to constantly ask ourselves: “Is this AI or not?”
The gap will grow larger and larger. For the simple pleasure of listening and feeling something, people will gravitate toward what they know was not AI – toward music composed, performed, and released before 2016. That is the reality we are going to have to navigate.
Fortunately, humanity has created an extraordinary wealth of great music. Even I – a Generation X DJ – still regularly discover beautiful tracks from the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s I had never heard before. That well is deep, and it is entirely, undeniably human.