Needless to say, the revelation that singer Xania Monet is an AI creation that prompted a label bidding war and a multimillion-dollar advance is not Kehlani‘s favorite music-business development. “Nothing and no one on Earth will ever be able to justify AI to me,” the R&B star declared on TikTok last week. “Especially not AI in the creative arts, in which people have worked hard for, trained for, slept on the floor for, f–king got injuries for, worked for their entire lives. I’m sorry, I don’t respect it.”

Monet’s success — her five songs have racked up 17 million U.S. streams and generated an estimated $52,000 over two months — has led to ethical conflicts in the business. Some reps from indie labels who spoke with Billboard say they would never sign an AI artist because they’re committe

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