Kigali: Rwanda's Elvin Cena has made headlines with his viral song 'Let Me Be', which was heavily assisted by Artificial Intelligence (AI).
According to Ghana Web, the amapiano-inspired track released in February has surged in popularity on platforms like TikTok, accumulated over 13 million YouTube views, and charted in countries across Europe and Africa, peaking at No. 12 in France and breaking into the top 10 in Kenya and Tanzania.
Initially recorded with Cena's own lyrics and melody in a French studio, the song underwent a transformation when Cena decided to employ AI to rework it. Using Suno AI, a generative artificial intelligence platform, he revamped the track into an amapiano style and added a digitally generated female voice. The artist likens this creative process to using ChatGPT to write a CV, emphasizing the role of AI in reshaping the song.
Cena, who didn't want to be fully associated with AI-created music, initially released the song under the alias 'The Second Voice' on YouTube. However, as the song gained traction, being featured in over 50,000 TikTok videos and reaching one million views within days, Cena decided to claim it. He released an official video crediting 'The Second Voice featuring Elvin Cena' and uploaded it to his YouTube channel, Elvin Cena Production, to promote his work.
As AI continues to influence the music industry, platforms like Suno AI are enabling the mass production of high-quality AI music. Research from French streaming service Deezer indicates that 97% of people cannot distinguish between AI and human-generated music. This development comes amid ongoing ethical and legal debates regarding the use of copyrighted data to train AI models.
Cena, however, is unperturbed by the revelation that 'Let Me Be' was AI-assisted. He believes that AI music will become mainstream, comparing it to the early days of the internet. Despite embracing the technology, Cena stresses that AI should complement rather than replace human creativity, advocating for its use as a tool to generate ideas rather than a complete substitute for human input.