Berklee Music Students Protest AI Songwriting Course in Viral Petition

Hundreds of students at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston have signed an online petition protesting a new course on generative AI music and songwriting, escalating the debate between artists and technology they argue threatens their livelihoods.

As of Tuesday, 418 people had signed the petition targeting the two-credit course "Bots and Beats: AI and the Future of Songwriting", demanding the school cease its use of AI on campus.

The petition accuses Berklee of promoting OpenAI’s ChatGPT, stating that the technology "steal[s] the art of [tens of thousands] of artists and rot[s] the essence of the industry," with devastating consequences for the environment to produce "facsimiles of real human art."

Angry comments from current and former students flooded the petition’s discussion section. Many expressed disappointment that a school renowned for nurturing popular music would embrace a technology linked to the theft of original songs.

"Very unfortunate behavior from an esteemed creative/music college. Do better, Berklee. You represent so many of us and so many great artist’s futures—don’t ruin it by damaging the craft."

"As a Berklee grad, I’m appalled at the questionable use of AI in creative classes. If I were a paying student now, I’d be angry being told to use it in place of struggling through every assignment fully myself."

The course description states that students would explore how AI-aided songwriting can both enhance and hinder musical creativity, alongside discussions on the "impact of AI on the music industry (both helpful and harmful), and on the future careers of music makers."

In a statement to WBZ, Berklee defended its approach, saying as an "artist-first institution at the forefront of contemporary music and performing arts education," it has a responsibility to prepare students for technologies shaping creative industries. The college added it would continue this approach in line with its guiding principles.

Given the lukewarm response, it appears Berklee’s statement did little to ease concerns among students and alumni.

AI in Music: A Growing Controversy

This dispute reflects broader industry tensions as AI-generated music increasingly competes with human-created works on streaming platforms.