Artificial Intelligence and the Crisis of Musical Authenticity: Examining the Implications of AI-Generated Music on Creativity, Copyright, and Artistic Integrity

Abstract

The rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) has instigated a perceived crisis within the music industry, challenging existing norms of authenticity, creativity, and copyright. This study analyses the dominant discourse surrounding this crisis and proposes an alternative framing from the perspective of African musicology. The study, anchored in postcolonial theory, critiques the universalist legal and aesthetic concepts (individual authorship and copyright), which act as hegemonic cultural constructs, and the African communal ethos, a philosophical paradigm where musical creativity is understood as a participatory, functional, and socially embedded practice, offers a contrasting ontology of music-making. A systematic review of literature was conducted to synthesise and analyse scholarly articles, legal reviews, and industry reports that were published up to July 2025. The selected literature was thematically analysed to identify and compare the core tenets of the classical individualist paradigm with the African communal ethos paradigm as it surrounds the creation and ownership of music. The findings reveal that the perceived crisis is dependent on the Western constructs of the solitary genius and the unchanging musical work, both of which are incompatible with the AI. Conversely, the African communal ethos, which is characterised by its emphasis on collective creation, social function, and performance as an experiential event, offers a more robust and adaptable framework to counter the perceived notion of crisis. This comparative analysis highlights the core differences between these two approaches while focusing on authorship, creativity, ownership, and authenticity. Finally, the findings suggest that the perceived crisis in AI music is not an inevitable technological outcome, but rather a cultural reflection of neo-colonialism. By embracing African musicological viewpoints, therefore, this crisis could be reevaluated. This article concludes by proposing the notion that AI should not be viewed as a threat to human creativity but as a powerful tool to enhance collaborative and inclusive forms of musical expression.