D’Addario admits generative AI was used in controversial…

D’Addario has officially acknowledged that generative AI was utilized in a promotional video for its NYXL HD electric guitar strings. This admission follows a period of repeated denials by the company despite mounting scrutiny from the online guitar community regarding the authenticity of the track.

What happened

Following accusations that the promo video featured music created by the AI service Suno, D’Addario initially denied the claims and attempted to verify the track by sharing a Logic DAW session provided by the creator. However, observers identified significant discrepancies between the provided session and the final audio. In response, the company claimed that LANDR and Logic AI mixing tools were used without their knowledge, an explanation that was met with further skepticism. LANDR eventually intervened, confirming that their tools could not have produced the specific tempo and melody changes found in the final recording.

After a full review, D’Addario confirmed that Suno Studio was indeed used to regenerate the track and that the company had shared inaccurate information. The firm stated that it had been fed false information regarding the music's origin. D’Addario also addressed its previous practice of deleting critical comments, admitting that it handled comment moderation poorly and promising to allow honest criticism moving forward. To prevent future incidents, the company has pledged to require employees and creative partners to disclose any use of generative AI and will implement more rigorous review processes for all future content. D’Addario emphasized that it does not support AI-generated music and aims to restore trust with the musician community.