SZA has hit out at the rise of artificial intelligence in the music industry, claiming the technology is disproportionately targeting Black creators and churning out “stereotypical” content, per music-news.com.
In a candid new interview with i-D magazine, the “SOS” singer admitted she feels like she is “at war” with the digital shift. SZA expressed particular frustration over AI-generated covers of emerging artists and the “anti-intellectualism” she believes fuels the trend.
“I’m also really offended by the type of Black music that’s coming out of AI,” she said. “Weird, stereotypical struggle music.”
The 36-year-old artist clarified that her competitive fire isn’t directed at her peers in the R&B or pop charts. Instead, she is battling a system she believes devalues human experience.
“I’m not up against the pop girls… I’m up against anti-intellectualism and doing things easy,” she explained. “The type of blend of information my human experience provides, AI can’t even be prompted to f*** with.”
SZA cited the example of rising star Olivia Dean, noting how AI covers of the singer’s work are appearing before the artist has even had the chance to establish her own streaming footprint.
This isn’t the first time the singer has sounded the alarm. Last summer, she took to Instagram to urge fans to research “environmental racism,” linking the massive energy demands of AI systems to the suffering of Black and Brown communities.
“AI doesn’t give a f*** if you live or die,” she warned. “There is a price for convenience and Black and Brown communities will pay the brunt of it every time.”
Reflecting on the current state of the world, SZA described society as “deeply unprepared” and “fragmented,” lamenting a lost sense of community solidarity.
The singer’s anxieties have already bled into her discography. Her 2022 hit “Ghost in the Machine,” taken from the critically acclaimed album SOS, pointedly addresses the soullessness of the digital age with the lyrics:
“Let’s talk about AI, robot got more heart than I / Robot got future, I don’t.”
Despite her concerns, SZA says she plans to use this “angst” as a creative fuel, vowing to let the friction drive her music into “bizarre new directions.”
