AI-Generated Music Causes Significant Financial Losses for K-pop Artists, New Study Reveals

A new study by musicMagpie, titled "Bop or Bot?", highlights the growing impact of artificial intelligence on the music industry, particularly affecting K-pop artists. The study, which analyzed nearly 1,500 AI-generated covers and songs, revealed surprising statistics on streaming figures and the financial consequences of unauthorized AI-generated music.

According to the findings, K-pop is one of the most affected genres, with 35% of the most-streamed AI-generated covers mimicking K-pop artists. Among the hardest hit is BLACKPINK, who have amassed over 17.3 million views on AI-generated covers of their songs. BABYMONSTER has tracks like "Batter Up" and "SHEESH" have racked up millions of views, directly affecting the group’s earnings.

Other K-pop stars, including BTS’s Jimin, BLACKPINK’s Jennie, and Stray Kids, have also been impacted, each garnering over half a million streams on unauthorized AI covers. The financial consequences are significant—BLACKPINK alone is estimated to have lost £376,184.85 (approximately 418,000 USD) due to these AI-generated versions of their songs.

The study estimates that K-pop artists, along with others in the global music industry, have collectively lost over £10.7 million (11.9 million USD) due to the rise of AI-generated music. Along with BLACKPINK, groups like BabyMonster, TWICE, and artists like Jungkook and Jennie are seeing considerable revenue loss from the unauthorized use of their voices in AI covers.