Edited on 7/24/25

As a lover of music and possible “cyber-hippie”, questioning “neo-luddite”, and all around retro technology evangelist, I’ve become increasingly aware of the rise of AI generated / assisted music. Spotify has released an “AI DJ” as well as an AI generated podcast about your listening habits. Apple is following suit and plans to release “AutoMix”, which allows for AI assisted “DJ-Like Song Transitions” (it replaces the time tested Crossfader btw) to Apple Music in the coming months. These features, which albeit I’m not the biggest fan of, are less egregious in the grand scheme of things as you can simply opt to not utilize the feature. However, where AI usage becomes downright harmful or misleading is when the “creators” neglect to inform the audience that the “content” they are consuming is AI generated.

Such is the case of “Thy” an AI generated radio host. As reported by The Verge,

For months, a popular Australian radio station has used an AI-generated DJ to host one of its segments — and no one seemed to notice, as reported by the Australian Financial Review and The Sydney Morning Herald. The show, called Workdays with Thy, offers a four-hour mix of hip hop, R&B, and pop, with no indication that the voice of its host, Thy, is AI-generated.” This phenomenon is endemic on YouTube as well. Take the case of ”Phantasia - Divine Incarnation”. I originally came across this video in May 2025, and at the time nothing in the description acknowledged that the “content” was AI generated. In fact, the uploader went through the trouble of “writing” a complete biography for the artist and album itself. I reported the content as misleading and they seem to have complied, adding a disclaimer at the very very bottom of the description of the video.

There has been a rapid increase in AI generated mixes on YouTube as well. Take the video “Rat Detective Boogie”, a completely fabricated “mix” of AI generated “tracks”. Taking a look below the video, we can see that there is no mention of AI anywhere in the description. This is the case for the video “ｓｏｕｎｄ ｏｆ １９８４” too, no mention of AI. While just two examples, each of these videos has amassed a sizable audience. And up to this point, you may then be asking yourself “What is the harm in publishing these videos?”. Well, “Rat Detective Boogie” is a clear derivation of Louie Zhong’s “Rat Taxi” and “ｓｏｕｎｄ ｏｆ １９８４” is clearly derived from the work of creators like Jason Sanders. Thus the consequence is that these AI generated YouTube mixes are stealing the work of actual creators and absorbing views that they would otherwise receive, ultimately depriving them of revenue. The uploaders surely must be aware of this as they are making the active choice to mislead and withhold from adding any sort of disclaimer: If you’ve got nothing to hide, then you should have nothing to fear.

The idea of an automated DJ is nothing new either, take SomaFM for example, a 24/7 no-interruption internet radio. Hell, I’ve even experimented with automated track selection over on my site x86 Soundscape (it's literally just random w/ a 10 second crossfader). The key difference here though is regardless of the technology being used, REAL PEOPLE are selecting the music and REAL PEOPLE have composed the tracks selected. I consider myself to be an enjoyer of “vibes based music”, i.e. music that encompasses a specific setting, feeling, or theme. I find that my attraction to mixes, radio shows, and DJ sets stems from this principle; the artform is in cultivating the vibe. I have observed that most of this AI generated “content” seeks to pray upon my fellow vibe seekers. But the machines cannot create a vibe, they cannot feel, they have no concept of emotion, thus anything “created” exclusively by a machine can only ever be a simulacra of art.

Despite this, I truly believe that we are in a renaissance, especially in the DJ / Radio scene. The internet has enabled artists to be more connected than ever. I have particularly been enjoying Humano Studios, Everybody Loves to Boogie, and Mihon Reko as of late. And if things are seeming bleak online, you can always unplug and check out your local music scene!

UPDATE (7/17/25): This article was featured in the July Edition of “The Local Signal”!

UPDATE (7/24/25): It got worse…

Despite my best efforts of ignoring and otherwise blocking this content, YouTube decided to place a few more “gems” on my recommended feed.

Taking a look at "Summer Lofi Chill ☀️ Ocean Coffee for Relaxing Morning 🌊 Lofi Hip Hop for Study & Relax", we see some familiar faces: No songs to be found in the description, Dubious visuals, and some sort of targeted “vibe”. I wanted to bring this example into the conversation for two reasons. The first being that YouTube does now include a content warning, BUT it is hidden in the description and you MUST click read more to see the warning.

The second issue I want to bring attention to is the comment section. It’s very indicative of the Dead Internet Theory, and calls into question the true number of views, likes, etc. for the video.

Next, taking a look at “a quiet morning with a warm breakfast, watching the world go by” we officially have the most egregious case yet. The top comment reads:

Taking a peak at the description:

However, the “songs” in the description suspiciously don’t credit any artist, and also fall into the “vibe” naming category. Taking a peek at the linked Spotify playlist:

It seems that there are very real (and good!) songs nestled between dozens of clearly unreal, generated material. This reminds me of the phenomenon I described in “A Little View Farming”. It seems like you can somewhat successfully lie explicitly (contrasted with the lying by omission previously indicated) with no consequence. I continue to echo the sentiment in my original conclusion above. Stay vigilant, friends.