Samuel Smith Finishes 8-Track Album With AI After Parkinson’s Erodes Guitar Skills
Updated
Updated · The Associated Press · May 30
Samuel Smith Finishes 8-Track Album With AI After Parkinson’s Erodes Guitar Skills
13 articles · Updated · The Associated Press · May 30
London singer-songwriter Samuel Smith, 49, used AI music generators to complete parts of his second album, “The Art of Letting Go,” after Parkinson’s symptoms left him largely unable to play guitar.
For the instrumental track “Horizon,” Smith hummed melodies into his phone and ran them through Suno and Udio, sometimes making 50 to 150 attempts to build demos for session musicians rather than final mixes.
The album still featured human performers assembled by producer Matt Rollings, including Jerry Douglas, Alison Brown and Julian Lage; Smith said AI enabled his songwriting rather than replacing it.
Smith, diagnosed in 2020, called a brief 10-minute studio window to record a guitar duet on “Horizon” the “last breath” of his guitar playing.
His case lands in a wider fight over generative music tools: labels sued Suno and Udio in 2024 over training data, while some artists and researchers say the technology could expand creative access if used responsibly.
Is Samuel Smith's story the blueprint for AI becoming a revolutionary accessibility tool for creators with disabilities?
As AI turns a simple hum into a full song, where does human creativity end and the machine's contribution begin?
Will new AI music platforms built by record labels finally solve how artists get paid for fan-made remixes?
Samuel Smith, Parkinson’s, and AI: Redefining Creativity and Ownership in the Music Industry
Overview
Samuel Smith’s journey began with his Parkinson’s diagnosis in 2020, which made it hard for him to play guitar. Instead of giving up, he turned to AI music tools, which help people with disabilities take part in creative work. Using these tools, Smith found new ways to express himself and keep making music, turning his personal challenge into a chance for artistic innovation. His story reached a wider audience when he joined the Berklee Music and Health Institute in New York, where he shared how music and technology can support people living with neurological conditions.