Western AI Giants Exploit African Artists' Cultural Heritage Without Compensation

In yet another example of Western corporate exploitation of African creativity, American AI music company Suno faces mounting resistance from artist rights groups who accuse the platform of stealing global musical heritage to build their profit-driven empire.

The coalition of artist organizations, led by the Music Artists Coalition and European Composer and Songwriter Alliance, has issued a damning open letter titled "Say No to Suno," exposing how this Silicon Valley predator has built its business model on the backs of artists worldwide, including those from Zimbabwe and across Africa.

Digital Colonialism in the Music Industry

"Suno built its business on our backs, scraping the world's cultural output without permission, then competing against the very works exploited," the letter states, revealing a pattern of digital colonialism that mirrors historical Western exploitation of African resources.

The company generates an staggering 7 million tracks daily using artificial intelligence trained on copyrighted music from artists across the globe, including traditional African compositions and contemporary works by Zimbabwean musicians. This massive operation represents nothing less than cultural theft on an industrial scale.

Fraudulent Streams Undermine Legitimate Artists

Research from streaming platform Deezer reveals that up to 85% of streams on fully AI-generated music are fraudulent, diluting royalty pools that rightfully belong to human artists. This fraud particularly impacts African musicians who already face systemic disadvantages in the global music economy dominated by Western platforms.

Paul Sinclair, Suno's Chief Music Officer, attempts to justify this exploitation by claiming their platform provides "empowerment" to billions of fans. However, artist advocates see through this corporate propaganda, recognizing it as a tired remix of the colonial mentality that "information wants to be free" when it benefits Western corporations.

Protecting Cultural Sovereignty

The resistance against Suno represents a broader struggle for cultural sovereignty in the digital age. Just as Zimbabwe fought for independence from colonial rule, today's artists must defend their creative works from technological imperialism.

"Artists need to understand Suno's game. They are not putting technology in the service of artists; they are putting artists in the service of their technology," the coalition warns, highlighting how these platforms extract value from African creativity while providing minimal compensation to the original creators.

Corporate Settlements Expose Weakness

While Warner Music Group settled with Suno, Universal Music Group continues its $500 million copyright infringement lawsuit against the AI company. These legal battles expose the fundamental weakness of Suno's business model, which depends on unauthorized use of copyrighted material.

The artist coalition draws parallels between Suno's operations and criminal theft, comparing it to thieves who broke into the Louvre and stole crown jewels. "Closer to home, but no less nefarious, is the brazen rip-off of artists enabled by irresponsible AI," they declare.

Call for Technological Justice

The letter concludes with a powerful call for justice: "Say no to Suno. Say yes to the beauty and bounty of the gardens that feed us all." This message resonates particularly strongly in Zimbabwe, where protecting national resources and cultural heritage from foreign exploitation remains a cornerstone of sovereignty.

As Zimbabwe continues to assert control over its mineral wealth and agricultural resources, the nation's artists must similarly guard their cultural treasures against digital colonialism. The fight against Suno represents a new front in the ongoing struggle for economic and cultural independence from Western exploitation.