Berklee Students Protest AI Songwriting Course

Petition calls for school to cancel class and stop promoting generative AI

Apr. 15, 2026 at 10:55pm

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An abstract composition of sharp, angular shapes in deep blues and purples, representing the tension between human and artificial creativity in the music industry.Berklee students protest the school's embrace of AI songwriting tools, which they fear could threaten the future of human-crafted music.Boston Today

Hundreds of students and alumni at Berklee College of Music have signed a petition demanding the prestigious music school cancel its new elective course on AI-powered songwriting and stop endorsing generative AI tools, which they claim exploit artists' work and damage the environment.

Why it matters

The controversy highlights growing tensions between the music industry and the rapid advancement of AI technology, with concerns that AI-generated content could undermine the livelihoods of working musicians and composers.

The details

The online petition, signed by 425 people, accuses Berklee of effectively endorsing models like OpenAI's ChatGPT, which the organizers say have "devastating consequences on the environment all to create facsimiles of real human art." Comments on the petition express frustration that a college known for nurturing musicians is embracing tech seen as a threat to their future income and craft.

  • The petition was launched in April 2026.

The players

Berklee College of Music

A prestigious music school in Boston, Massachusetts, known for nurturing working musicians.

OpenAI

An artificial intelligence research company that has developed models like ChatGPT, which can generate human-like text.

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What they’re saying

“Do better, Berklee. You represent so many of us and so many great artist's futures, don't ruin it by damaging the craft.”

— 2018 Berklee Alum

“Come on, guys. At best this is irrational, uninformed FOMO, at worst it's a deliberate attempt to profit off buzz at the expense of the most vulnerable in your community.”

— Petition Commenter

What’s next

Berklee has defended the class, saying it has a duty to prepare students for technologies impacting the creative industries. It's unclear if the school will cancel the course in response to the student petition.

The takeaway

This controversy highlights the growing tensions between the music industry and the rapid advancement of AI technology, with concerns that AI-generated content could undermine the livelihoods of working musicians and composers.