SZA criticises AI for “disproportionately” affecting Black music

SZA has said she feels like she’s “at war” because of AI in music and that she feels the tech is “disproportionately” affecting Black music.

In an interview with i-D Magazine, the R&B singer talked about the AI music crisis, saying, “I feel like I’m at war because of AI.” 

“It’s happening disproportionately with Black music. Why am I hearing AI covers of Olivia Dean when Olivia Dean just came the f*ck out? She can’t even collect the streams. I’m also really offended by the type of Black music that’s coming out of AI. Weird, stereotypical struggle music.”

View this post on Instagram

She continued: “I’m not up against the pop girls. I’m not up against the R&B girls. I’m up against anti-intellectualism and doing things easy. The type of blend of information my human experience provides, AI can’t even be prompted to fuck with. I want to just let this angst drive me into bizarre directions.”

SZA’s comments follow the news of AI “artist” Xania Monet, which signed a multimillion-dollar record deal and made history with its Billboard Chart Debut. Monet’s music is entirely AI-generated, as is Monet, the music’s avatar. Created by poet and designer Telisha "Nikki" Jones, it is only Monet’s lyrics that are not AI-generated. 

R&B singer Kehlani hit out at Monet, saying: "Nothing and no one on Earth will ever be able to justify AI to me. I don't respect it." 

SZA previously spoke out against AI’s environmental racism - the disproportionate impact of environmental pollution and hazards and resource depletion in Black and Brown communities - on Instagram. Posting in July 2025, she said, “Ai is killing and polluting black and brown cities. None of you care cause your codependent on a machine. Have a great life.”

Later that day, she posted, “Please google how much energy and pollution it takes to run Ai .. please google the beautiful black cities like Memphis that are SUFFERING because of twitters new Ai system.” 

SZA was likely referring to how Elon Musk, owner of Twitter (now X), opened an AI centre in Memphis in 2024 that sparked concern from the city’s residents and environmental groups due to its potential for pollution and excessive water usage. 

SZA continued: “Al doesn’t give a fuck if you live or die I promise"

“THERE IS A PRICE FOR CONVENIENCE AND BLACK AND BROWN [COMMUNITIES] WILL PAY THE BRUNT OF IT EVERY-TIME. We won’t get it til it’s too late. Yall don’t hear me tho. Love u regardless.”

On her 2022 album SOS, before AI in music had reached anywhere near its current level, SZA also took aim at AI on her song 'Ghost in the Machine', singing: “Let’s talk about AI, robot got more heart than I / Robot got future, I don’t / Robot get sleep, but I don’t power down.”

SZA is one of countless artists who have publicly stood against AI. Recently, Blur and Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn said, “I don’t think it’s possible for AI to make soulful music.”  

Radiohead's Thom Yorke said: “Is Al capable of genuine original creative thought? I have yet to see that.” He added that AI "analyses and steals and builds iterations without acknowledging the original human work it analysed. It creates pallid facsimiles, which is useful in the same way auto-accompaniment is useful, or a screensaver of a beautiful natural landscape in a billionaire’s bunker is.” 

Major British artists including Kate Bush, Sir Elton John, and Paul McCartney were among many who urged the Prime Minister to protect music as AI continues to rise - and as AI companies illegally steal artists' work. The PM told NME last year that the government was working to "get the balance right."

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, Threads, Facebook, and YouTube for the latest music and events content.  

Header image credit: SZA / Facebook.com