K-pop stars using AI to write music? UAE fans debate as Seventeen's Woozi bashes rumours

In an unprecedented turn of events in the K-pop community, Seventeen's Woozi, took to Instagram on Sunday, July 14, to quell rumours of AI being used to write the band's music.

This comes after a major British media outlet reported that the popular boy band has "experimented" with AI to produce the music video of the major hit 'Maestro' whose production may also be partially AI-generated.

The star said in a statement on social media, "All of Seventeen's music is written and composed by human creators."

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While Carats (fans of the band Seventeen) in UAE were quick to clarify that Woozi's quotes from a Korean interview had been misinterpreted, the use of Artificial Intelligence is now becoming more common and has been fairly normalised across the board in the country, with the technology being increasingly integrated in different crafts.

Israa Abid, a 24-year-old UAE resident, said, "It is clearly mentioned in the trailer of the video that AI was used to make it, however, the tech had no part in writing the lyrics. They used robot-motion tech not generative AI."

Fans in the UAE have been debating the use of the tech in creative fields, especially music – where the listener develops an emotional connection to the music they listen to.

K-pop's unique identity

Abid, an avid fan of the band, said, "Honestly, it usually is a bit disheartening to realise that a specific art that you like has been [created] by AI."

"I don’t really like the concept of using AI when it comes to creating music because I think it takes away the emotions or feelings that one expresses through art." She added that it is difficult to relate to the music when you are aware that a certain lyric or tune was made by a computer, "which does not feel these very ‘human’ emotions".

Dubai resident Anchala Prem, who works as a Cognitive Skills Trainer, similarly said, "It feels like if the machines are taking over humans' ability to create, then what does make us unique?"

Abid believes that true creativity lies with humans. "I believe that our human brain alone is and has been capable of enchanting the world of art for centuries, hence the use of AI is more important in the field of research and science; things that make our lives easier."

Eighteen-year-old Sumana Madichetty, seconded the thought, "To hear that Maestro, which is one of my favourite songs, may possibly be AI generated (even partially) is bizarre to me since I’ve also heard that a lot of Seventeen songs have been written and produced by the artists themselves."

Talking about how K-pop artists perform with creative and unique styles, she added, "I'm sure that AI will continue to grow and be integrated in a lot of fields. However, I do believe that the involvement of AI in the music industry will definitely affect how authentic and new a song is, especially in K-pop."

Prem also said that her initial interest in the world of K-pop stemmed from how the "music was completely different and unique to what we usually hear from artists from the western hemisphere that have been considered 'mainstream"'.

"The 'benevolence' of AI is of course still a topic of discussion, especially when it comes to art," she added.

Going back to why Seventeen used the tech, Abid said, "Woozi has also talked about experimenting with AI because he wanted to protect their own unique identity."

"At the end of the day, music should be a form of therapy, whether it’s a listener or a creator, and a human involved can only bring that out," Prem said, wrapping up her thoughts.

Tech being 'demonised'

The flip side, however, argues that if the rest of us use AI wisely, then why shouldn't artists. Husna Murad, a 24-year-old Carat (Seventeen fan), said that the tech is being "demonised" because people think of it as a "replacement" to humans than an "assistance". She also doesn't see what the issue with using the technology could be.

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