Timbaland Facing Controversy Over His AI-Generated Artist

Timbaland has doubled down on his plan to launch an AI artist through his company Stage Zero to bring forth a new music genre known as artificial pop, or A-pop. Now he is facing backlash.

Taking to Instagram on Friday (June 6), the iconic producer addressed the controversy swirling around the announcement of his first AI-generated artist, TaTa.

“I know I’m trolling, but let’s have a real conversation,” Timbaland wrote in his post. “I love my independent artists. This doesn’t mean I’m not working with real artists anymore.”

 “And nah, I don’t train ai off y’all music,” he explained. “This just means more creativity for creators.”

Tim also posted a video of music executive Ray Daniels saying AI artists will be the new wave in the record industry.

 “Why the fuck wouldn’t you?” Daniels said in the video. “Mickey Mouse is an AI character. Donald Dunk is an AI character. Bugs Bunny is an AI character.”

“You guys are looking at it wrong,” Daniels continued. “He’s gonna make a character that he can have sing songs and sell products. That’s all these cartoonists and young kid TV shows are doing anyway, so why are y’all mad at him?”

In the comments section, many disagreed with Timbaland and Daniel’s views on AI-generated music.

“You call it trolling, but the moves you are making are not jokes,” British DJ Shy FX wrote in the comments. “They are choices, and they come at the cost of real artists who are already fighting to be seen and heard.”

“You showed your colours when you attempted to make a song using Biggie’s AI-generated voice,” he added. “You made it even clearer by partnering with Suno, whose founder has been very vocal about wanting to replace musicians, not support them. And now this? This isn’t disruption. It’s a cash-in.”

Rob Markman, a noted hip-hop journalist, took issue with Daniels’ point about the creation of the beloved Disney character. 

“Mickey Mouse was created by a human, drawn by a human, written by a human, voiced by a human… not the same,” Markman wrote.

“None of those things the guy mentioned (Mickey Mouse, Bugs Bunny) are AI characters; those are characters created, written, and animated by PEOPLE. Do you not see the resounding rejection you’re facing for this?” Markman added.