PeppDigital makes case for AI in music

United States-based artiste, JohnPaul Arabome, better known as PeppDigital, has defended the use of artificial intelligence in music creation, insisting that technology does not diminish creativity when guided by human ideas.

In an interview with Sunday Scoop, PeppDigital, who recently released two albums on the same day, said artistry had never been defined solely by the ability to sing with one’s natural voice.

He said, “Singing is one form of artistry, but it has never been the definition of an artist. Producers, composers, songwriters, conductors and DJs have created important music without necessarily being the voice you hear on the final record.

“For me, PeppDigital is the creative identity behind the work. I develop the concepts, write and shape the songs, make decisions about sound, structure, mood and direction, and use technology as part of that process.”

Addressing criticism surrounding AI-generated music, the creative, who is also a chef, said the level of human involvement should be considered when such works are assessed.

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He added, “I think context matters. There is a difference between typing one sentence into a machine and accepting whatever comes back, and spending hours writing, rewriting, changing arrangements, directing performances, rejecting generations, editing stems and continuing to work on a record until it reflects what you intended.”

He stated that the emotional connection created by music should not automatically be dismissed simply because technology was involved in the creative process.

“If a song made you cry, laugh, dance, remember someone you loved or think differently about something, then you discover AI was involved, what exactly happened to the emotion you already felt? That feeling happened. It was real,” he said.

PeppDigital maintained that although AI raises important questions about ethics, transparency and authorship, the ultimate purpose of music remains the connection between the creator and the listener.

“The machine may be involved in making the record. But the person feeling something on the other side is still human,” he concluded.