Difficulty Distinguishing Human from AI-Generated Music: Shocking Results from Deezer Survey

A recent survey revealed: conducted by the music streaming platform Deezer in collaboration with research firm Ipsos, a significant challenge for the public in distinguishing between music generated by Artificial Intelligence and that created by humans. The results showed that 97% of participants found it difficult to determine whether musical pieces were entirely created by AI. This survey, which adopted strict criteria, considered a participant "failed" if they could not correctly identify all three musical pieces.

Initial Deezer Survey Results and the Public's Ability to Distinguish

In an informal experiment: conducted by the article's author, participants' ability to distinguish between music produced by Artificial Intelligence and that created by humans improved, with a correct identification rate of 43%. This suggests that the shocking 97% figure in Deezer's survey might be misleading due to the strict criteria. Ironically, some participants assumed that very poor quality songs were human work, believing them to be an "AI trap."

Participant Reactions and AI's Impact on Quality

71% of participants expressed: their surprise at their weak ability to distinguish. 51% felt uncomfortable with their inability to differentiate between AI's artistic creations and human music. Opinions varied on the impact of Artificial Intelligence on the music industry, with 51% believing it would lead to "worse and more generic music." Surprisingly, only 40% indicated they would avoid listening to AI-generated music if informed beforehand.

Demands for Transparency and Platform Actions: Deezer and Spotify

However, the majority of participants agreed: on the importance of transparency, with 80% demanding clear labels for music generated by Artificial Intelligence. Deezer actively adopts this principle, having developed a system capable of detecting and classifying AI-generated music content with 100% accuracy from popular models like "Suno" and "Udio," and it excludes these tracks from its personalized recommendation lists.

While Spotify has taken steps: to address "the chaos caused by Artificial Intelligence" on its platform, it has not implemented explicit content labeling. Instead, Spotify relies on a unified credit system that heavily focuses on artists and production companies disclosing their use of AI, even in minor stages like mixing.

Volume of AI-Generated Music and Its Future Impact

Manuel Moussallam points out: Deezer's Head of Research, that there is an unclear area related to hybrid content that integrates elements of Artificial Intelligence. Moussallam stresses that this is not a "technical problem, but an issue of transparency and ethics" that requires all relevant parties, including creators, music distribution services, and streaming platforms, to take responsibility.

The quantity of music: generated by Artificial Intelligence being uploaded is increasing significantly. According to Deezer, the platform receives over 50,000 AI-generated musical pieces daily, accounting for over 34% of the total music added. However, Moussallam explains that this content represents only 0.5% of total listens, and a large portion of this small percentage is fraudulent. Although this large volume poses challenges for Deezer, he does not believe it will fundamentally change the user experience. He emphasizes that "humans will continue to create music, and audiences will continue to listen to the works of real artists."

Artist Holly Herndon agrees: who has extensively used custom AI models in her musical works, with this view. She clarifies that "just because anyone can create cheap, superficial works doesn't mean the audience will care. Artistic practice and creativity are much deeper than that."

70% of participants in the survey believe: that songs entirely created by Artificial Intelligence pose a direct threat to the future of musicians, while 64% believe that AI may reduce the level of artistic creativity. Nevertheless, Moussallam seems less concerned, as he believes that "we are not heading towards a future where humans are excluded from the creative process; rather, AI will be integrated as an assistive tool within these creative processes."