- Your Sundays are always ridiculously dull since all the malls, retail stores, or any place that would bring you joy, is closed (curse you Blue Laws).
- Ramapo Reservation is your go-to place to hike (and take nature pics for Instagram).
- And Darlington Lake is your chill spot when you want to go swimming but are too lazy to drive down the shore.
- You considered everyone that went to Bergen Academies or Bergen Tech an overachiever when you were in high school.
- You appreciate how close you are to New York.
- Also, you don’t call it “New York City,” you call it “the city.”
- You’ve concluded that Ridgewood is probably one of the nicest places in the county.
- And Hackensack and Paramus are home to many of the attractions in the county.
- Wawa? Nah. It’s either 7-Eleven or Quick Chek for you.
- You have your own lingo with your squad that non-bergen county residents often do not understand (Did you just say it's brick outside?) (What do you mean by 'in the cut'?).
- You’ve paid for overpriced food or tickets at the Meadowlands State Fair (or some other event there).
- IHOP is a good time, but the Original House of Pancakes or Brownstone Pancake Factory are where the good hotcakes are at.
- You’ve probably been to The Brownstone for a wedding, special gathering or maybe even prom.
- You’ve probably been to White Manna in Hackensack and had a banging burger.
- Also, your friends have probably dragged you out of your neck of the woods to Passaic County to drive through Clinton Road (and you didn’t die!).
- The Shops at Riverside Square make you wish you had more money.
- Paramus is literally the land of malls.
- And GSP is basically the only one you visit.
- And finding parking there on a Saturday is a big joke.
- Every time you exchange phone numbers with someone when you’re away from home, and their area code is “201” you get super excited.
- When you were in high school, you probably talked a lot of smack about every other high school (especially on Twitter).
- Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater is the best place for Japanese food.
- You’re probably obsessed with "The Real Housewives of New Jersey." You might even know one.
- You listen to Fetty Wap more than the average person.
- If you don’t live in Ridgefield or Ridgefield Park, you probably think they’re the same place.
- You've probably been to Medieval Times for "a 'knight' to remember."
- You’ve spent countless Friday nights driving around endlessly in a car with your friends because everything closes so dang early.
- You’ve been to some sort of function at the Fiesta Banquet Hall.
- And you've been personally screwed over by NJ Transit buses.
- Or became very frustrated while stuck in traffic on 17.
- You probably bag on Bergen County all the time, but it's your home, your hood, it's part of you and you can't change that #201.
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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
StableDiffusion
The Illusion of Creativity
AI-generated music is often marketed as “artistic” or “educational.” But what does it really teach?
- That style can be replicated without understanding.
- That emotion can be simulated without feeling.
- That effort can be bypassed with a prompt.
For young creators, this sets a dangerous precedent. Why learn to play guitar when an algorithm can do it faster? Why study harmony when AI can generate chord progressions in seconds? The risk isn’t just laziness — it’s the loss of depth, discipline, and the tactile joy of creation.
I have listened to several AI-generated music covers. My initial reaction was one of considerable impressiveness, particularly regarding the reimagining of classic pop hits in diverse genres with novel arrangements. Here is one good example a-ha — Take On Me
However, after engaging with several such Ai generated song covers, a sense of emotional detachment emerged, attributable to the perceived absence of human artistry and genuine sentiment, resulting in a technically flawless yet ultimately soulless auditory experience.
Copyright in Crisis
What does the copyright law say about AI generated music, especially in field of music covers. Who is liable for copyright in this case, AI developers, people who used AI to generate music or people who published it on music platforms?
Recent lawsuits show that the music industry is pushing back hard:
- Universal, Sony, and Warner sued AI music platforms Suno and Udio in 2024 for allegedly training their models on copyrighted songs without permission Ars Technica The Lyon Firm.
- They’re seeking up to $150,000 per infringed song, arguing that the AI outputs resemble famous tracks and voices (e.g., Mariah Carey, Michael Jackson).
- These lawsuits target the developers of the AI tools — but they raise broader questions:The legal gray area is training data. Courts haven’t yet ruled definitively on whether using copyrighted songs to train AI counts as infringement or fair use Sites at USC.
But who’s liable?
Role | Legal Risk | Why |
AI Developers | ✅ High | For training on copyrighted material without licenses. |
Users | ⚠️ Moderate | If they intentionally recreate protected works. |
Publishers/Platforms | ✅ High | For distributing infringing content. |
The grey area lies in training data. Courts haven’t yet ruled definitively on whether using copyrighted songs to train AI counts as infringement or fair use. Meanwhile, AI-generated works themselves aren’t eligible for copyright unless a human provides substantial creative input — leaving them in legal limbo.
The Educational Mirage
Some argue that AI music helps people learn genres, production styles, or vocal techniques. But this “education” often lacks context. It’s like learning to paint by watching a printer — technically impressive, but creatively hollow.
True musical education involves:
- Struggle and iteration: Learning through mistakes.
- Emotional connection: Expressing what words can’t.
- Cultural lineage: Understanding the roots of sound.
AI shortcuts bypass all of this. And in doing so, they risk flattening the rich terrain of human creativity into a sterile landscape of algorithmic mimicry.
Why This Fight Matters
This isn’t just about music. It’s about the future of art, storytelling, and human expression. If we allow machines to dominate creative spaces, we risk turning culture into content — optimized, monetized, and devoid of soul.
We must ask: Do we want a world where art is made by machines, or one where machines help humans make better art?
5 Key Takeaways
- AI-generated music blurs the line between innovation and erosion in the creative arts
- AI-generated music raises questions about copyright, culture, education, and artistic expression
- AI-generated music can replicate style without understanding, simulate emotion without feeling, and bypass effort with a prompt
- AI-generated music sets a dangerous precedent for young creators by potentially leading to a loss of depth, discipline, and joy of creation
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