When the talent is now an algorithm, what becomes of authenticity?

CULTURE & CODE

By Joey Briones

When Xania Monet — a completely AI-generated singer — hit Billboard’s Hot 100 this year and signed a USD 3 million recording deal, the music industry gasped. A machine had not just learned to sing. It had learned to sell.

And when the AI-generated band The Velvet Sundownquietly surpassed one million streams on Spotify, as reported by The Guardian, the shock deepened: audiences had listened, loved, and paid for music without realizing no human had performed a single note.

The lines between human and machine artistry didn’t just blur — they vanished.

When the artist becomes the asset

Today’s entertainment industry is witnessing a new creative species: algorithmic talent.

Virtual performers like FN Meka (the AI rapper briefly signed by Capitol Records), Noonoouri (the digital fashion model now releasing music), and Xania Monet are redefining what it means to be an artist.

They never sleep, never tour, never age — and they don’t demand royalties.
To labels, brands, and studios, they are infinitely scalable creative IPs.

But the bigger shift isn’t in technology. It’s in ownership.

When the “talent” is a model, not a musician, the artist becomes a licensable property — an asset that can exist forever.

The rise of synthetic celebrity

The implications extend far beyond music.

Hollywood is already experimenting with digital doubles of real actors. Tom Cruise’s image, for instance, could one day headline a new Mission Impossible film without him ever stepping on set — as long as the studio pays the licensing fee for his likeness and voice.

In this world, your brand is your afterlife. A musician’s tone, a designer’s aesthetic, a CEO’s speaking style — all could be cloned, monetized, and licensed across future generations of AI platforms.

We’re entering the era of post-biological celebrity, where the boundaries of talent and technology dissolve.What you create may outlive you.

And what outlives you may still be you.

A new creative economy

This isn’t speculation — it’s already happening:

• Grimes allows fans to create AI-generated songs using her voice, taking a 50 % royalty split on revenue.
• K-pop companies are developing AI idols that perform virtually and sell out digital tours.
• Virtual influencers like Lil Miquela and Imma now command brand deals worth millions, despite not existing physically.

In short, creativity is shifting “from performance to permission.”Ownership is no longer about who made it — but who owns the rights to the likeness that made it possible.

The new creative power isn’t fame. It’s futurity — the ability to license yourself to eternity.

Authenticity in the age of replication

This new order raises uncomfortable questions: If AI can compose symphonies, paint masterpieces, and act in films indistinguishable from humans — what does authenticityeven mean?

Perhaps authenticity is no longer about origin but intention. It’s not whether a song came from a human heart — but whether it still makes one beat.

As Jeff Burningham wrote in The Last Book Written by a Human, AI mirrors both our light and our shadows.
When the reflection sings back to us, what we hear isn’t just code — it’s our collective imagination, mechanized and multiplied.

The new talent contract

This is not the end of artistry. It’s a redistribution of creativity — from the hands of a few to the algorithms of many.

Artists of tomorrow will not only write music; they’ll train models. They will sell not just songs, but selves — licensing their likeness, tone, or performance style as reusable assets across media.

Imagine an era where:

• Beyoncé licenses her 2024 vocal dataset to a generation of AI creators.
• Tom Hanks’ likeness stars in historical dramas for decades after retirement.
• Your favorite podcast host’s voice narrates personalized audiobooks in real time, long after they’re gone.

This isn’t science fiction. It’s the birth of the algorithmic talent economy.

The human advantage

But amid the synthetic perfection, one truth remains:AI can replicate style, but not soul.It can imitate emotion, but not intend it.

The most successful creators in this next era will be those who brand their humanity — who preserve the stories, values, and emotions behind their data.

In other words: the artists who teach their algorithms how to feel.

From immortality to impact

As we step into this world of cloned voices and coded stars, the goal isn’t just to protect creativity — it’s to evolve it.

The future of art won’t be defined by who performs it, but by who permits it — and why.
Authenticity won’t die. It will be reborn as intentionality.

Because when the talent is an algorithm, the question isn’t whether machines can create. It’s whether we can still care deeply enough to make it matter.