This project dives deep into the disruption of the music industry by generative AI. Through exclusive interviews with artists, legal experts, and technologists, we explore the central question: when machines can make music, what happens to the musicians?
We sit down with independent musician Michael J. Epstein to understand the real-world fear: not just of being replaced, but of human artistry being devalued in a market flooded with AI content.
Professor Jonathan Wyner from Berklee College of Music offers a counter-perspective. He compares AI to the 808 drum machine—a “toy” that revolutionized music. His focus: bending the technology to the artist's will.
Katharine Trendacosta from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) discusses the legal battleground. She proposes a disruptive solution: what if AI-generated work simply cannot be copyrighted?
Produced by candidates for the MS degree in the Media Innovation & Data Communication program at the Northeastern University School of Journalism. © 2025