Renowned producer Timbaland sparked fury online earlier this week, when he announced his new AI entertainment company and its first artist, an “A-Pop” artist named Ta-Ta.
The backlash was swift, with hundreds of people expressing their disappointment over Timbo’s latest move. The longtime beatmaker initially addressed the uproar with an AI video essentially telling his critics to “get over it.” But since then, he’s changed his tune. On Friday (June 6), he posted another Instagram message, this time with a bit more sincerity.
“I know I’m trolling but let’s have a real conversation,” he said. “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. This just means more creativity for creators. Going Live tomorrow.” He also included a clip of Ray Daniels talking about how “artists are never satisfied,” leading producers to cease working with them.
Despite his best intentions, people weren’t so forgiving. As one person wrote, “You call it trolling, but the moves you are making are not jokes. 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. 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.
“Saying you love independent artists means nothing when your actions actively undermine them. This isn’t creativity. It’s convenience. And for someone who once shaped the future of music, this isn’t pushing boundaries. You’re crossing them. Loudly. I’m sure the cheque was good. And by now, you’re too far gone to care. Signing off with “Let’s talk about it” sounds cute, but that’s not an invitation to a conversation. It’s a cover.”
Daniels’ claim that “Mickey Mouse is an AI character” also sparked a debate between engineer/producer Young Guru and Timbo in the comment section of his post. Young Guru wrote, ” You are completely wrong. I love you though. Mickey Mouse, bugs bunny are not AI. They are someone’s imagination come to life and put on the highest level. Someone had to sit and create.”
Timbo fired back, “naa you wrong these tools don’t work it self you have to learn how use and create your vision that’s yours it’s call IP that’s what bugs buuny and Mickey Mouse are the reason you say the high level because the tools where different.”
Young Guru, clearly not satisfied with Timbo’s response, replied, “you are absolutely wrong. Bob Hardaway had to sit down and create something from scratch in his mind. And you are missing the ping of human creativity. It’s way beyond music. So it’s ok for you to steal every person’s art that sits down with a blank piece of paper and draws a master piece with their own style?
“You just going to let AI copy that and say you are using a tool. No way. You are skipping all the other incredible things that happens to a child that learns to play an instrument. This ain’t about the music business. This is about human existence. If that’s the case we don’t need your genius. I can just copy you with AI. The train you are who you are is because of your talent and your taste. You don’t see the bigger picture.”
As expressed on social media, AI in music introduces a range of dangers that threaten both the creative and economic foundations of the industry. One major concern is the loss of originality and emotional depth, as AI-generated music often lacks the personal perspective and lived experience that human artists bring, resulting in compositions that can feel predictable, formulaic and emotionally flat.
The use of AI risks turning music into a product optimized for efficiency and commercial gain, rather than a form of authentic artistic expression. Economically, the widespread adoption of AI tools could displace musicians, composers, and producers, undermining livelihoods and reducing opportunities for human creators.
Ethically, AI’s ability to mimic the styles and even the voices of established artists without consent raises serious issues around copyright infringement, ownership, and the unauthorized use of personal likenesses, particularly as current legal frameworks struggle to keep pace with technological advances.
Additionally, the reliance on AI-driven recommendation algorithms by streaming platforms can narrow musical diversity, exposing listeners to a homogenized selection of tracks and stifling the discovery of new or experimental artists.
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