- Post study abroad depression is real. Jet lag is, too. I slept for a total of four hours last night and somehow woke up and was a fully functioning (but sad) human being. After spending an incredible month abroad and returning back to America, I have decided that the five stages of grief are applicable to coming back home after a month in Europe. This is the exaggeration of the thoughts going through my head as I move through the Kubler-Ross model we all learned in AP Psychology, since high school never ends.
Denial: I am not home. I am not back in the land of free and functional wifi. I did not just use the restroom for free. The restaurant did not give me free water. I can easily stop by Café Mario on my way to class and my roommates are five steps away. I live two minutes away from school. I am not home.
Anger: Why am I back home? Who decided it was okay to leave Florence? I hate America. The food sucks. Why is there no cappuccino in front of me? Florida is a terrible place. This weather is disgusting.
Bargaining: I'll sell my car if I can go back to Italy. I'll drop out of school and move to Florence. Can I please go back to Europe now? I'm going to the airport to see if I can get a flight to Florence, bye mom and dad it's been real!
Depression: I think I'll stay in bed until the rest of eternity. I'm sad. I can't get up. I miss my roommates and the friends I made in Italy. American life has no meaning. I'm getting sick.
Acceptance: It's all going to be okay. I can't change it so I might as well embrace it. America isn't that bad after all.
If you also just came home from a study abroad trip and are feeling emotional, you are not alone. If you are just now leaving for a study abroad program I wish you the best of luck, you'll have an amazing time but prepare yourself for the whirlwind of "the feels" that will occur when you come home.
After going through all five stages in the past 12 hours I have decided to accept my current fate. I have decided that I was in fact ready to leave the land of slow wifi, pickpockets, selfie stick sellers, leather markets, and pasta. I need to do a juice cleanse after consuming insane amounts of carbohydrates, but before that happens I need to reunite with Chipotle, Brooklyn Water Bagels, and sushi. It is time to eat lettuce (since apparently salads aren't a thing in Italy), spend time with my family and friends, go to the gym, and fix my sleep schedule. Now that I can no longer legally drink it'll be good to detox from the copious amounts of frozen mojitos I had at happy hour. Basically I have a lot of things to do. The first of which is making an appointment at the DMV so I can replace my license and my mother will let me drive my car. I also need an appointment with Apple so I can get a new laptop and write from my couch instead of my dad's desk chair. Focusing on these things will help me move past the acceptance stage and move on with my life.
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
