Social Fatigue in AI Music Identification

Nobody likes the guy that ruins everyone else's fun. That's why moving forward I won't be calling out when friends share music generated by AI.

At first I felt like I had a duty–especially as an "expert"–to bring attention to it. I feel very strongly that people should be aware of when something is machine-made yet is presenting itself as human-made. I thought that people wanted to be aware of when they were being deceived. In practice that hasn't been the case. At first people were appreciative at least. Recently I've called out AI music in my group chats and the tone has shifted.

It is probably a complex mix of reasons. Maybe people feel embarrassed they were deceived. Maybe psychologically or ethically they don't like the idea that they enjoyed machine-made music. Maybe Grey is being a know-it-all and is getting annoying.

The reasons are interesting but don't actually matter. I ultimately value my friendships more than making sure that people aren't being deceived. And if people don't care that much about being deceived then what am I even doing it for?

The general population's ability to resist integration into systems is non-existent. In a world where people are struggling to afford eggs and bread there is no ability to care that the music they think is cool isn't made by human artisans or to care about being alert against deception. Or even the mental bandwidth to consider caring. The only people left to be alarmed are technologists and artists whose concerns aren't ever heeded.

Maybe not the greatest example but it feels like 2010 Facebook all over again. Someone would post about how Obama is eating babies and their source would be obamaeatsbabies.com. Inevitably someone else would call out this misinformation and the poster would appreciate it. Then when they posted something similarly crazy a week later and got called out again they instead became hostile.

There is a limit to how many times a person can be proven wrong before they stop caring about being wrong. They will eventually find coping mechanisms for being wrong and then integrate it into their identity. The person today who continually shares AI music without realizing it becomes the AI music evangelist of tomorrow. It is easier on the ego to portray yourself as the connoisseur than to ever admit you were the fool.

If you couldn't tell I'm frustrated. Again, if people want to listen to music made by AI then that is fine. What is unacceptable is people being lied to about music that was created by AI. What is even more maddening is people who have accepted the lie.

I will continue to illuminate truth. It will just be with people who are more willing to listen.