Berklee Hosts First AI Music Summit Amid Student Protests
On June 3‑5, the Berklee College of Music’s newly formed Emerging Artistic Technology Lab (BEATL) staged the AI Music Summit (AIMS) in its Richard Ortner Studio Building in Boston. The three‑day event drew more than a hundred experts from the United States and abroad—engineers, educators, executives, lawyers, researchers, producers and musicians—who gathered to dissect how artificial intelligence is reshaping music creation, production, performance and learning.
AIMS opened with a broad overview of AI’s reach in music. Music lawyer Elizabeth Moody addressed the summit with a talk titled The Future of Music & AI: Deals, Data, and Creator Value. Moody explained that “AI music” covers a spectrum from assistive plugins to fully generative songwriting platforms, noting that companies such as Suno and Udio have captured headlines by producing chart‑topping tracks in seconds. She also highlighted other AI functions—including stem separation, sampling, effects processing and recommendation systems—that are integral to the industry.
Panelists from Audioshake, AutoTune, Image‑Line, LANDR and Universal Audio stressed that AI should solve concrete problems rather than exist for its own sake. The discussion also tackled data practices of generative platforms. Suno trains its models on unlicensed music, while ElevenLabs claims it uses only recordings with permission. Suno’s “open studio” model lets users download and distribute AI‑generated music, whereas Udio’s Starstruck app and Spotify’s AI remix tool operate as walled gardens that restrict user‑generated content.
The summit featured several live performances that illustrated AI’s creative potential. Holly Herndon showcased AI choral soundscapes and her voice‑clone project Holly+, underscoring the importance of consensual data collection and ownership. Keyboardist Jordan Rudess used Moises to isolate vocal tracks and Suno to flesh out improvisations, then performed a call‑and‑response duet with jam_bot—an AI system trained on his playing and developed at MIT’s Media Lab. L’Rain’s Taja Cheek presented music she described as “anti‑algorithmic,” layering loops and effects while preserving a human presence.
Outside the venue, Berklee students staged a peaceful protest. Contemporary writing and production major Theo Wheeler explained that the demonstration was part of a broader backlash against the college’s AI initiatives. Wheeler said students want to learn how to navigate AI’s impact on careers, not just how to use AI tools. The protest was organized by the Instagram account @berkleeagainstai, which amassed over 1,000 followers in a few days.
BEATL’s executive director Mark Ethier acknowledged the student concerns and affirmed that the summit was “artist‑centered.” Ethier announced that the lab would create a student advisory board to address feedback. Berklee president Jim Lucchese also recognized the protest and emphasized the importance of involving musicians and educators in shaping AI tools.
Industry implications were highlighted by the financial scale of generative AI companies. Suno recently raised $400 million, valuing the company at $5.4 billion, while ElevenLabs raised $500 million, with a valuation of $11 billion. Most AIMS sponsors were AI and tech firms, including Adobe and Spotify. The summit underscored that, although AI offers new creative possibilities, the majority of revenue remains concentrated in tech companies and record labels.
AIMS concluded with the announcement that Berklee will host a second summit next year. The event left open questions about who will benefit from AI in music, how artists can protect their rights, and how the industry can adapt to rapid technological change.
The summit’s mixed reception—highlighting both the potential of AI and the concerns of emerging musicians—illustrates the ongoing debate over the future of music creation and the role of technology in the industry.
