Strive to be happy- that’s what most people would say is their ultimate goal in life. If you are happy then you have succeeded. However, with this mentality comes the inevitable argument that if you are not happy then you have not succeeded, or at least you are not succeeding in that moment. I believe this mentality to be incredibly damaging, because it leads the majority of people to believe that they have not succeeded, that they are somehow not good enough. And when people box themselves in with the label of “failure” (even if it is temporary), it negatively affects their self-image, decreasing their likelihood of being happy, therefore being counterproductive. Hence, I want to propose an alternative mentality. I want to challenge you to strive to appreciate the beauty of life, both the good and the bad, instead of striving for happiness. If you are feeling down, even if you have been feeling down for months or even years, don’t think of yourself as having not succeeded. Appreciate the fact that you are a living, breathing being who experiences complex emotions such as sadness. Aren’t those emotions beautiful? The good, the bad and even the ugly, isn’t it all beautiful in it’s complexity? If you change your mentality from “I am not happy and therefore I am not succeeding” to “I am going to appreciate the beauty in my ability to feel emotion and accept this emotion as a natural but temporary stage in my life”, I believe you will have a much healthier self-image. Because that’s just it, sadness, like happiness, is temporary. As you go through different stages of your life you will inevitably experience varying periods of emotion, some years in your life will just be happier than others, that’s a fact. Therefore I have found myself to feel most successful when I live in the moment. If I appreciate my current state of being, no matter what it is, and stop using happiness as a measurement for my success, I have found myself to be happier as a byproduct. Nobody is arguing that happiness is not satisfactory. The large majority of people would argue that happiness is their most enjoyable state of being. However, I think when you make happiness the measure of your success, you run into trouble. Therefore I challenge you, at least for a day, to not use happiness as your measure for success. Strive to appreciate beauty, strive to live in the moment. I believe it will make you a much happier person in the long run.
Recommended for you
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
Trending Topics
Trending Stories
Best of Health and Wellness
![Cristina Yang and Meredith Grey in scrubs sit against a wall, smiling and enjoying a break.]()
![Woman in field with a red heart-shaped balloon under a colorful sky.]()
