The amount of victims bullying has taken is downright atrocious. The focus has been on our youth for a long time, but not on bullying, not as explicitly as it needs to be. When 4,400 people are dying every year, how long are we forced to wait until we don't just address the problem and formulate a plan, but we ruthlessly annihilate the problem? Why are we letting kids like Shania Sechrist go unnoticed until it's too late?
It's time for a movement folks. It's time for us to speak up. When a child as young as 7 years old resorts to suicide because he was teased about being the only young man in a family of 8 women, something needs to change and it needs to change quickly.
As a survivor of bullying myself, I can say that the most helpful thing anyone can do is be a friend. It's very simple and seems common enough, right? Elementary was by far the hardest 6 years of my life. Pre-K through second grade passed by in a bit of a blur, although I do remember having two best friends that I played with constantly, until they both moved away that is. After my friends moved the cliques that had formed over time became much more apparent and I quickly figured out that I didn't quite belong, well, anywhere.
The one rule that's consistent throughout every elementary school (and middle school for that matter) is where you sit in the cafeteria matters. That was another thing I noticed that I took for granted before. Having no friends, I was forced to juggle between the three tables our particular class was assigned; there was the all girls table, made up of some of the nastiest girls to walk the face of the planet (this was before I found out about Ann Coulter ok), the all boys table, home to the crushes of the all girls table, and last and certainly least, the oddballs table. The oddballs table was home to some of the most interesting people you'd ever have the pleasure of meeting. Unfortunately, elementary boys and girls don't do interesting, they do popular.
I remember one horrible lunch where I sat down at this table two "popular" girls were sitting at only to have them move as soon as I sat down as if I was an epidemic they clearly did not want to catch. That lunch I ended up sitting with the guys and crying halfway through a peanut butter sandwich. One of the girls from the other table came over to say sorry to me, yet next year at lunch she called me anorexic before I even knew what it meant to be anorexic. Most likely before she even knew what it meant to be anorexic.
In a case such as this somebody would think to inform a teacher, right? That didn't happen. Lucky for me a teacher was present and saw me crying with my head down on the table. Although her actions could have been more helpful as all she did was tell me to pick my head up, stop crying, and eat my food. This same teacher praised me for being the relative of one of her favorite students, she praised me for being related to someone. I was by no means her favorite though, the day in the cafeteria made that very clear.
When teachers pick favorites or compare student to past students it's motivational to a degree. For me it went the exact opposite direction; a creative new form of bullying and it was coming from my mentors. How I survived until the sixth grade I do not know. Although, the last year of elementary everything seemed to fit into place. I met my best friend and she stuck out the rest of our school days by my side (don't worry, you'll get your own article, that's not even a question). She more than helped shape me into the strong, independent, and compassionate individual I am today. Most importantly, she became something of a role model in my eyes. Her perseverance and morals were something I could only dream to embody myself, because I knew her life hadn't been easy either, yet she never gave up. She never took the easy way out. She never looked for an escape.
I was one of the luck ones. I survived bullying and that's something not everybody gets to say. How many more children, teenagers, and young adults have to die for this generation to realize they can do something about it. We can do something about this. One Instagram picture and suddenly Rachel Roy is a trending topic. Thousands of lives later, and bullying still hasn't received the attention it deserves.
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
