At this year’s creative tech fest SXSW (“South by South West”), held for the first time in London, the venues lit up each evening with unmistakably human performances celebrating sweaty and unpredictable energy, full of flaws and magic. And yet the daytime conversations in the conference stream painted a less romantic picture. And it’s fair […]
At this year’s creative tech fest SXSW (“South by South West”), held for the first time in London, the venues lit up each evening with unmistakably human performances celebrating sweaty and unpredictable energy, full of flaws and magic.
And yet the daytime conversations in the conference stream painted a less romantic picture. And it’s fair to say, the times, they are a-changin’. Again.
In an industry that’s always on the forefront of innovation, change often sounds like a familiar tune. We heard it when recorded music emerged, when radio and TV revolutionized entertainment — and we certainly heard it when synths and drum machines stole the spotlight
But now there’s a new kid in town. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a fringe curiosity in music tech; it’s the hot topic of the day. And unlike other trends, this one isn’t going away. If anything, it’s learning.
Speaking about the proliferation of AI music generators such as AIVA, Amper Music and Soundraw, legendary ABBA musician and founder of Music Rights Awareness Björn Ulvaeus said: “People’s misconception is that AI can write a whole song. It’s lousy at that, It’s very bad at lyrics as well. But it can give you ideas!”
Björn Ulvaeus (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images for SXSW London)
In other words, AI might not replace songwriters, but it’s likely to become a vital part of the creative process.
Ulvaeus also raised a more pressing issue: the ethics of training AI. “AI music generators train on copyrighted materials — they have to. For that, we feel we have to pay something to the songwriters and artists who are needed to create the AI models.”
What came across clearly at SXSW is that AI isn’t an accessory. It’s a paradigm shift. And those unwilling to engage with it may soon find themselves locked out of conversations — and opportunities — that define the future. Ulvaeus’ panel was one of the highlights of last week’s summit.
Another highlight was UK singer songwriter— a pioneering tech Imogen Heap’s panel, where she demonstrated her Mi.Mu glovesthat uses hand gestures to create music by combining human movement with digital sound.
Imogen Heap demonstrating Mi.Mu gloves at SXSW
Though the gloves didn’t quite work live to wow the crowd, she quickly pivoted. Heap invited the audience to scan a large barcode on the screen to sign up for Auracles, a framework she created to help attribute and credit AI-assisted creative work. But ironically, technical glitches meant no one could sign up. The moment was a fitting metaphor: the technology is mesmerising but still relying on the same mains power cord.
When AI steals your work (and your job)
Music isn’t the only creative field affected by AI, of course. Other creative industries are already feeling the squeeze. Isabelle Doran, representing the Association of Photographers, shared troubling stats: 51% of photographers in the UK reported losing work due to generative AI, equating to a staggering £43 million in lost income. “It’s like having your car stolen at night and the police doing nothing about it,” she said.
The problem isn’t just economic — it’s legal and structural. In the US, AI-generated works don’t qualify for copyright. In the EU, data mining is allowed — if there’s consent. But in practice, consent is often implied, unclear, or ignored.
Laura Harper, a lawyer deeply involved in IP policy, offered a broader take during the festival: while technology has historically supported the arts, the scale of generative AI introduces something new. “It feels like AI arrived fully grown,” she said.
And while technologies like blockchain might one day solve the attribution and compensation problem, that’s still more theory than practice. The danger isn’t just that AI is fast — it’s that the systems around it are slow.
Understanding the digital ecosystem
Kevin Cummins, famed for his iconic Oasis photos, warned that today’s artists often share too much, losing the mystery & iconography that once made them stand out. Meanwhile, Jonathan Dickins, Adele’s longtime manager, noted that while challenges in the music industry tend to hit emerging artists hardest, even large-scale acts like Adele—whose Munich shows resembled one-artist festivals—must now prioritise long-term planning and cohesive teamwork.
Kiran Gandhi at SXSW
Still, he’s optimistic: artist deals have significantly improved since 2010–2012, especially around streaming, thanks to smarter decisions and a deeper understanding of the digital ecosystem.
Reeds Jewelers: turning data into gold
Together, their insights reveal a key paradigm: in an age of endless digital content and AI-generated noise, success isn’t about more output — it’s about building and curating a distinctive persona.
Artists and managers must use technology strategically to build lasting connections, balancing visibility with identity.
It seems the conversation around compensating artists whose work has been scraped or used to train AI models is universal. Yet, unless there’s clear attribution linked to direct copying, it’s difficult to envision how artists can truly thrive on the tiny fractions such compensation would yield—even when scaled massively.
Music streaming platforms such as Spotify demonstrated that building a name and audience is possible, but generating sustainable income remains a serious challenge. Generative AI appears poised to amplify this trend on an even larger scale.
Chelsea Flower Show: talking to the trees via AI
Simultaneously, for creatives who adopt AI as a helping tool rather than fully relying on it on their artistic journey, the potential benefits are significant. This approach could lead to greater productivity, richer ideas, sharper execution, and deeper, more personal connections with audiences.
An artist who demonstrated this at SXSW was the tech-forward Kiran Gandhi, who sampled Antarctic field recordings and uploading them to cloud-based music creation platform Splice — a creative example of artists collaborating with, rather than competing against, the digital realm.
SXSW London is a music, film, and tech festival hosted in Shoreditch and Hoxton
Creative industries often serve as first to embrace innovation — and often the first to face its fallout. History shows this pattern clearly within the music industry, from the disruptive rise of cassette tapes to the seismic upheaval caused by Napster.
What feels different today is the scale and scope of change: while a guitarist might lose a spot in a West End live show, millions of professionals in accounting, legal, IT, and customer support roles are also reshaping the ecosystem. Governments will inevitably need to get involved and craft fair, sustainable solutions for this new landscape.
Itay Kashti is a freelance music producer and owner of Blue Room Studios
