The composer who says ‘no’ to AI
María Bernal, the mind behind hits like Thalía’s ‘Equivocada’, can’t believe what she’s seeing. Young people who want to get into music… but asking a machine to do the heavy lifting.
“They already started writing to me to tell me ‘look at my songs’ and when I ask them if they made the melody, they answer no, that they did it with such an app”, he tells EL UNIVERSAL.
For her, there is a clear line. Using digital tools to shape an idea is fine. But asking an algorithm to invent the idea from scratch and sign it as yours… that’s something else.
“I agree that it is used to dress something or demos, but from there you tell the AI to write a song and say that it is your composition, it becomes totally objectionable to me, there is no soul in that and you are a liar”, he adds.
The real problem behind the easy shortcut
Bernal, former member of the group Kaay and Latin Grammy nominee, puts her finger on the sore spot. The real problem is not only ethical, but legal. The AI searches and remixes what it finds on the internet, regardless of whether it uses copyrighted material.
But he also sees a positive (and quite ironic) side to this whole technological mess.
“Yes, it will be difficult to see which lyrics were done like that, but let’s be realistic, now we’re going to really see who can do it live,” he comments.
In other words: the stage and live shows will be the new battlefield. There is no algorithm there that can cover up a lack of real talent.
Meanwhile, his music lives on
Away from digital debates, Bernal continues doing his thing. This weekend he officially presents the video clip for “Canción cheesy”, a song that talks about love in a broad sense.
“It is not only the love of a couple, but towards life, saying yes to love”, he emphasizes.
The song will be part of a new production that will include new mixes of their past hits. For her, these songs represent a specific stage. A chapter that will soon close to give way to a new sound that he is already working on.
In the end, his position is clear: tools can help, but never replace. The soul of a song does not yet have a source code.
