Kenyan gospel duo Wapendwa Muziki Nina and Mesh have come under criticism after revealing that they use artificial intelligence (AI), specifically Suno AI, to create music demos that guide the production of their songs.
The revelation has sparked debate among gospel music fans and industry stakeholders, with questions emerging about originality, creativity, authenticity and the growing influence of technology in gospel music.
The couple have defended the approach, explaining that they don’t rely on AI to write their songs but insist that their music is inspired by the Bible, their faith and personal creativity.
“We have been getting our songs from God directly; all our songs are inspired by the Bible,” Mesh said.
Mesh stated they use Suno AI to develop demos from lyrics and musical ideas they have already created, which they then take to their music producer as a guide.
“Tunapata song tunaandika, then Suno AI inacreate demo, then hiyo demo ndio tutaenda nayo kwa producer wetu tumwambie ebu sikia hii. Suno AI will not make you a talented person; AI is only for the creative ones,” he added.
The clarification comes after the gospel duo attracted criticism following their disclosure that they use Suno AI in their music-making process. They also revealed that they paid Ksh 40,000 to use the AI tools that now help shape their music.
However, Nina and Mesh clarified that they write their own lyrics and develop their musical ideas before using Suno AI to generate demos, which they then take to their producer for further work.