97% Fooled: Americans Divided on the Ethics of AI-Made Music

Artist: Neil Jamieson

A new exclusive, nationally representative survey of 2,244 U.S. adults, conducted by The Hollywood Reporter in partnership with the Frost School of Music at the University of Miami, reveals America’s complex and divided opinion on AI music. The poll found a deep division across generations and party lines, confirming that few people are “ambivalent” about the disruptive technology.

The poll highlights the scale of the AI flood, noting that by one count, 50,000 AI songs are uploaded daily to a major streaming service. Alarmingly, 97% of listeners cannot distinguish a fully AI-generated track from human-created music when they hear it.

Ethical and Generational Splits

Despite the difficulty in identifying AI tracks, Americans maintain a strong ethical stance on the technology’s use. A significant majority of 62% of respondents say AI music creators definitely or probably should get permission from the original artist when replicating their voice. Overall, just over half of America isn’t interested in listening to AI music, even if their favorite artist created it.

The data reveals stark demographic differences:

Gen Zers are the age group most likely to be comfortable with AI being used to create music without human contributions.
Baby Boomers are the most likely to say that original music creators should be paid when their work is mimicked by AI.

Economics and Discovery

The survey touched on the music industry’s economics, which many working artists argue is broken due to low streaming payouts. However, the poll shows that a plurality of Americans in every age group thinks artists are paid fairly by streaming services, concerts, and touring.

The poll also mapped listeners’ discovery habits, highlighting the role of algorithms:

Social media (45%) and Radio (44%) are the top sources for music discovery.
“Streaming service suggestions” accounted for only 27% of new song discovery.

In a silver lining amidst the AI disruption, the poll revealed that Gen Zers are the most likely generation to say they have picked up a real-life instrument, with 67% of that age group reporting they’ve learned one. This statistic suggests a renewed engagement with human musical creation.

Ultimately, the poll confirms AI has created a deep ethical and generational divide, but the findings offer a silver lining. While algorithms reshape the industry, Gen Z—the age group most receptive to AI—is also the most likely to have picked up a real-life instrument, suggesting the human desire for musical creation remains strong.