Should I listen to AI-generated worship music?
- mikelewiscoaching
- Nov 22
- 3 min read
I was on Facebook this morning when a post caught my attention. A Christian artist, Forrest
Frank, is publicly speaking out against AI-generated worship music. This comes at a time when an AI artist named Solomon Ray is climbing the iTunes charts.
This was the first time I realized worship music was being created by AI. After reading the post, I decided to look for articles about Forrest Frank and AI-generated worship music. Sure enough, there are several. So this was not just a random Facebook rumor.
Ryan Foley explains in his article on Christianpost.com that Forrest Frank is against the use of AI for worship music. Foley shares a quote from Frank, where Frank states “At a minimum, AI does not have the Holy Spirit inside of it, so I think that’s really weird to be opening up your spirit to something that has no spirit.”
This raises an interesting point in the larger conversation about AI and worship music. Frank is absolutely correct that AI does not have the Holy Spirit. The question is, does that automatically make AI-generated worship music a problem?
As I thought about this, I kept coming back to the simple truth that while AI does not have the Holy Spirit, AI does not have a spirit at all. So the real question is, can believers who have accepted Jesus Christ and do have the Holy Spirit living in them sing lyrics that were created with no spirit in a way that worships the Lord? Even if the words come from something without a spirit, they can still communicate truth.
I believe we have to dive into this even deeper, not just with AI-generated worship music, but with all worship music. We should always evaluate the words we are singing to make sure they are truthful and biblically aligned. It doesn't matter if the lyrics are written by AI or a person. They should still be measured through a biblical lens. We should be asking questions like, "Is this truth?" and "Does the Bible support what I'm singing?"
Another thing to consider is that right now, music generated by AI also has a live human behind the scenes. In the case of AI-generated artist Solomon Ray, Christopher Jermaine Townsend is the live person behind the scenes. If Townsend has accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior, then Townsend has the Holy Spirit living inside of him. And he is the one ultimately reviewing and finalizing the lyrics and music of Solomon Ray.
As I consider all of these variables, I lean toward the side where it is OK to listen to, enjoy, and sing worship music that is generated by AI. Over time, my thoughts on this will continue to develop, and there may be a point where I change my stance. However, I think it is more important for us to check our own hearts as we sing worship songs to our Lord than to be stuck on whether those songs were generated by AI or not.
And even though this is where I currently land, does that mean someone who feels differently is wrong? The answer is “no.”
A key point in conversations like this is remembering that believers can have different convictions. What matters is that we do not let these differences create division.
Romans 14 is an excellent passage to reflect on in situations like this. “I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for that person it is unclean” (Romans 14:14). As you explore whether or not to listen to, sing, or enjoy AI-generated worship music, I encourage you to spend time in Romans 14.
Whatever you decide, guard your heart against allowing this to create division between you and other brothers and sisters in Christ. Have open and honest conversations that help sharpen your faith. As it says in Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”
My hope is that this conversation helps you think with both wisdom and grace. Technology will keep changing, and questions like this will continue to come up, but our call to love God and love each other stays the same. When new situations arise, let’s stay rooted in Scripture, stay thoughtful about our convictions, and stay patient with one another. If we can hold on to that, we will navigate these changes well and continue to honor the Lord.
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