SZA Warns Black Artists Their Work Is Being Used to Train AI Without Consent

SZA has publicly condemned the unauthorized use of Black artists' music to train artificial intelligence systems, following a report that uncovered over 21 million recordings being used without permission. The singer took to Instagram to call out the exploitation, specifically naming producer Diplo in her criticism of the practice, according to Stereogum. The Atlantic report identified recordings from major artists including Bad Bunny and Nirvana across four datasets, highlighting a widespread issue in the music industry.

StereogumSZA Calls Out AI Exploitation of Black Artists' Music Following Atlantic Report

"Black artists disproportionately influence global music culture while being the most vulnerable to intellectual property theft."

VarietySZA criticizes artists using AI music generators, warns Black creators about intellectual property theft

SZA's post urged creators not to give away their creative genius to train AI systems, according to Variety. She alleged that Diplo had equity in the AI music generator Suno and was using it to train AI on the work of Black writers and producers, as reported by Variety. The singer emphasized the lack of legal and creative protections for Black artists, who she says are particularly vulnerable to having their work exploited without compensation or consent.

The Atlantic report revealed that over 21 million recordings are being used across four datasets to train AI systems, according to Stereogum. Growing concerns among musicians about AI companies using their work without permission or compensation have been mounting, with Black artists facing particular exploitation, Stereogum reported. SZA's criticism adds a high-profile voice to the ongoing debate about intellectual property rights in the age of generative AI.

SZA's Instagram post specifically called out the exploitation of Black artists' music, naming Diplo in her critique of the practice, according to Stereogum. The singer's warning comes as the music industry grapples with how to protect artists' work from being used to train AI systems without their consent. Her comments highlight the disproportionate impact on Black creators, who she says are the most vulnerable to intellectual property theft while being the most influential in shaping global music culture.