Malawi draws the line on AI music

Artificial intelligence ( AI) is changing how music is made, but Malawi’s entertainment industry has drawn a clear line on what it considers authentic artistry.

Organizers of the Maso Awards have announced that songs and artists created entirely using artificial intelligence (AI) will not qualify for the awards, marking the latest effort by the industry to prioritize human creativity over machine-generated music.

The decision comes just weeks after the Copyright Society of Malawi (COSOMA) announced it would not register or distribute royalties for works created entirely using AI.

Speaking to Malawi24, MASO Awards Executive Director Augustus Mukisi said the awards were established to celebrate and promote authentic music created by human talent, not content generated entirely by artificial intelligence.

“We are not discouraging the use of AI, but we are discouraging people who create music entirely using AI prompts without putting in any creative effort,” Mukisi said.

He said artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important tool in the creative industry but should be used to support and enhance human creativity rather than replace it.

Mukisi said the awards remain committed to protecting originality, artistic expression and fairness in recognizing musicians. He also revealed that the organizers are developing a comprehensive AI policy that will clearly define the role of artificial intelligence in music production and determine what level of AI-assisted work will qualify for future nominations.

The decision has, however, divided opinion among musicians with some asking award organizers to introduce AI-only categories.

Emmanuel Nyale, who produces AI-assisted music under the Agulugufe project, urged the MASO Awards to reconsider its position on fully AI-generated music, arguing that artificial intelligence should be viewed as a production tool rather than the creator of music.

Speaking to Times Malawi, Nyale said every song begins with human creativity. He explained that he writes the lyrics, composes the melodies, determines the mood and direction of the music, and records the vocals before using AI to refine the final production.

According to Nyale, AI does not replace artists but helps improve sound quality, particularly for independent musicians who cannot afford expensive studio sessions.

He warned that excluding music produced with AI assistance could disadvantage emerging artists with limited financial resources, saying the technology has enabled talented musicians to produce professional-quality music at a fraction of traditional production costs.

By Joseph Mphiya