“It frustrates me to hear people bashing something that’s so amazing”: Todd Edwards is optimistic about AI in music production

Though now pretty ubiquitous, AI is a topic of serious contention, particularly among musicians and producers. How much of a role should AI play in the creative process, if at all? And is it ethical to use it given some models have been accused of using unlicensed data sets to train?

Mention AI to some producers and they’ll show you the door faster than you can generate a sample using Suno, but not everyone is totally anti-artificial intelligence.

Take house legend Todd Edwards, for example, who tells MusicRadar in a new interview that AI has become an integral part of his creative process, particularly when it comes to musical exploration, and disagrees with those who reject the technology outright.

“I resent the way people talk about this technology as if it’s from the devil,” he says. “I feel like the seasoned producer will see it as a potentially powerful tool, but the amateur or the person that doesn’t have the skillset will see it as a threat.”

He reveals that he has been using Suno Studio to generate legally safe samples. He explains that in 2025, he was “making [his] own samples by playing synths or using Splice. It just got depressing”.

But with Suno Studio, “there’s so much potential there, and it’s been able to reignite the idea of what you can do as a sample artist,” he continues.

Edwards offers a counter argument to those critical of AI’s alleged unauthorised scraping and use of copyrighted material, saying this practice has taken place by producers sampling material for decades, only on a smaller scale.

“What ticks me off is that there’s so many negative things that get said,” he goes on. “They say, ‘You’re taking money out of artists’ mouths’, but I’m sorry, I don’t remember every single artist on Beatport clearing samples! Is everyone clearing samples? Because if you’re not, it’s the same thing, just on a smaller scale.”

He also argues that using AI to generate samples isn’t any less creative than using sample libraries like Splice, which consist of sounds made by other artists.

“They say that it’s synthetic, but you’re using Splice packs,” he says. “You’re using other people’s sounds and you’re paying a credit to do that. If you build a whole track out of loops, that’s no different, in my mind. The hypocrisy in the industry is insane…”

“It frustrates me to hear people bashing something that’s so amazing. I guess it’s all about how you use it.”

Still, the AI debate continues, and is doing so in the comments section of a new post on his Instagram page promoting the MusicRadar article.

“Todd respectfully, this feels so needless,” comments Glasgow-based producer Austin Ato. “You have made genre defining music through your own originality and exploration. I know AI is promised as a new land to explore but it’s land built on stolen work and data centres. Please reject this easy way and stay original.”

“I understand the potential of using it as a creative tool but the ethics of it are just unacceptable right now…these samples aren’t being generated out of thin air, it’s the stolen work of fellow artists,” adds another user.

Sam is the Associate News Editor for Guitar.com and MusicTech. Thoroughly immersed in music culture for the majority of his life, Sam has played guitar for 20 years, studied music technology and production at university, and also written for the likes of MusicRadar, Guitar World, Total Guitar and Metal Hammer.