ART-ificial Intelligence
How AI is impacting art, the music industry, and how people are approaching creative endeavors.
by Hannah Corbitt ★ April 14th, 2026
Design by: Maia Simmons
With just a quick search of “Sienna Rose” into TikTok’s search engine, users will find the artist’s page brimming with videos promoting her music, short clips of her singing snippets from her recent releases, and other types of content featuring the singer’s face as proof of her identity.
When looking at the page for @siennarosely, the untrained eye may just take her for an artist attempting to kick off her artistic career and get her music out there. This account seems so normal, with a face to the name and more than several songs available for listening on Spotify. Except, upon further inspection, Sienna Rose is actually AI.
Artificial Intelligence, known as AI, is rapidly being integrated into the creative world. AI chatbot known as ChatGPT is now a student's quickest route to a perfectly articulated essay, a social media influencer’s source for brainstorming new video ideas, a personal trainer’s generator for weekly meal plans, and even acts as a therapist to some users who dare. Anyone is able to log onto easily accessible AI platforms and ask it questions for just about any task. AI can be used to transcribe interviews, generate answers on Google search engines, and has slowly made its way into the arts.
The arts symbolize humans and society, and as a form of human expression it only makes sense that it should be created by humans. So why is AI rapidly making its way into these spaces? AI-generated beats, lyrics, and even voices are becoming increasingly common, raising concerns about authenticity and artistic identity. When AI enters the process, it risks flattening those elements into patterns that are technically impressive but emotionally shallow. If enough artists begin to rely on the same tools, the diversity of sound and style could begin to shrink.
Swedish songwriter and popstar Zara Larsson is under fire for AI use now and to the dismay of many fans excited for “Zara Larsson Summer.” Larsson’s popularity has skyrocketed this year after embracing the popularity of her 2015 hit song “Lush Life” as the signature song for an unexpectedly-viral TikTok “hopecore” dolphin meme. She rebranded herself to a more Y2K-coded and vibrant style, where fans rave over her outfits each time she hits the stage in bedazzled mini skirts, colorful asymmetrical tops, and a matching glittery makeup look.
Her talent as a vocal powerhouse while consistently performing energetic choreography is one of the reasons she is so praised. She even went viral for her song, “Midnight Sun”, where she sings that “summer isn’t over yet,” getting fans in the mood for summer during these long winter months. Her reputation in supporting female artists and celebrities, as well as her political stance and outspoken social media presence, is what makes her so loved. Now that she has become online, she has caused her own first celebrity “cancelling.”
A viral AI TikTok series known as “Fruit Love Island” gained popularity once users took interest in the ridiculous plot and over-dramaticized content. Some people claim to be tuned in for every episode, while others criticize the meaningless use of AI and promotion of AI that comes along with the videos. Fruit Love Island is essentially AI generated “human versions” of fruit characters flirting and participating in a chaotic parody of Peacock’s dating show, Love Island. Larsson posted to TikTok a photo of her in bed with the text: “Sorry I can’t hang out today, I gotta see what’s happening with choclatina and strawberto.” Many people on TikTok were surprised that she kept up with the series, as well as outraged for her open support of generative AI due to her unproblematic history and the very problematic reputation that comes with using AI.
After many comments questioning if Larsson was going to address her use of AI, she responded by blaming her support of “Fruit Love Island” on her TikTok addiction and ADHD, while also admitting she uses ChatGPT and Google AI. Both her original video and the response-apology video have since been deleted. “I am just a girl with a phone at the end of the day,” she said in her apology. “And I just actually just want to be funny sometimes, and want to connect with people.”
She also posted an AI-made Swedish cover of “Stateside (with Zara Larsson)” and posted it, despite the fact that Larsson is from Sweden herself and speaks Swedish. By bringing mainstream attention to the technology’s growing influence, it can drive other creatives to use AI in the formulation of songs as well. While some see this as innovation, it actually signals a shift toward formulaic music shaped more by data than by emotion.
The same concerns apply to script-writing. AI can generate dialogue and plotlines in seconds, but storytelling is more than structure. AI is not advanced enough to pick up on realistic use of slang and conversation, something that viewers and fans of Stranger Things picked up on when watching season five. Fans have accused Stranger Things creators, the Duffer Brothers, of using ChatGPT to write the season 5 finale after a screenshot from a documentary appeared to show the AI tool open in the tabs from one of the Duffer’s computer screen. While this sparked online debate regarding AI in creative work, there is no concrete evidence of its use.
Viewers did notice, however, sentence structures and repeated uses of phrases come up that are also associated with AI. Many were unhappy with the quality and storyline of season five, claiming that it was a fall-off and degradation in the overall caliber of the show. If writers increasingly depend on AI, there’s a risk that stories will start to feel repetitive or predictable. This is especially applicable to Stranger Things, as fans rely on the unexpected plot twists and complex worldbuilding. AI algorithms are trained on existing content, which means they often reinforce familiar tropes rather than break new ground, and can also put the jobs of actual writers at risk.
The 2023 Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike fought for fair payment of writers who were being paid less due to use of AI in scriptwriting, and also to protest the use of AI in replacing writers in general. The strike lasted 148 days, beginning May 2, 2023, and concluding in an agreement on September 24, 2023. It became the longest strike in Hollywood history and severely impacted the production process of many films and shows that year, further exemplifying what happens when actual writers are not present and valued.
The impact of AI isn’t just cultural but may also be neurological. Creative thinking activates areas of the brain associated with problem-solving, memory, and emotional processing. When people engage deeply in artistic work, they strengthen these cognitive pathways. However, when AI takes over the heavy lifting, that mental engagement can decrease. Depending on AI for creative tasks may weaken our ability to generate ideas independently. Some researchers suggest this could reduce cognitive flexibility over time, which is the brain’s ability to think in new and original ways.
The debate on whether or not AI is harmful to the arts is ongoing. Like any tool, its impact depends on how it’s used. When treated as a supplement rather than a substitute, it can enhance creativity. But when it becomes a crutch, it may quietly erode the very skills that define artistic expression. It is up to us, as consumers, to hold these industries accountable for the work they are putting out. They are looking to see what we spend time and money on, and if they aren’t spending money on real humans for human entertainment, then why should we spend money on them?
Edited by: Alexa Murland