Lo-fi chill music has evolved from its viral beginnings with Lofi Girl to thousands of channels offering similar ambient sounds. However, recent investigations suggest many of these channels might be using artificial intelligence rather than human musicians to create their content.

Music influencer Derrick Gee recently investigated the popular lo-fi channel "what is ?" which has gained over 130,000 subscribers since September 2024. The channel's hour-long jazz instrumental mixes lack artist credits, raising suspicions about their origin.

Evidence suggesting AI generation includes:

• No artist credits in track listings
• Creator's positive response to comments mentioning Suno (an AI music generator)
• Deletion of comments questioning AI involvement
• Similar sound patterns to AI-generated music

YouTube currently allows monetization of AI-generated content, only requiring disclosure if content could be mistaken for real people or events. This policy, combined with the growing availability of AI music generation tools, suggests a potential shift in the lo-fi music landscape.

The trend raises important questions about artistic authenticity and attribution in the digital age, as traditional musicians who create original lo-fi tracks face competition from AI-generated alternatives.

While lo-fi's appeal lies in its repetitive, ambient nature, the increasing presence of AI-generated content could fundamentally change how this music is produced and consumed.

Related Articles

Previous Articles