AI hysteria hasn’t peaked. It’s only getting louder. It’ll eventually hit Turnstile-at-full-volume with no ear plugs levels soon. And that’s OK.
Even though AI is not new, it’s finally touching everyone and everything. When people are legit using it for therapy, it’s not just a fad. When my 82-year-old mother is talking about it daily, it’s here to stay.
In our space, there’s understandable fear about job loss. Complaints are common over AI DJs, AI music scheduling, and AI-made artists like Breaking Rust with its song “Walk My Walk” hitting #1 on Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales Chart. Note, “sales chart.”
You may have seen news earlier this week that I started a new venture, Black Box Group. Less than a few hours after the announcement, I already had notes in my inbox from companies touting their AI resources and how they could benefit me and my clients.
For those of us in RockTernative, it could be worse. Try being a production company that built buildings and was founded on hiring crews, securing lots and permits, hauling out scaffolding and lights, and hiring actors like Sydney Sweeney to shoot blockbuster commercials. These days, teenagers make Super Bowl quality commercials from the basement while playing Madden and Fortnite in the background.
Try being an accountant who spent years buried in Excel, studying numbers and tax laws when he could have been out at the bars with a lampshade on his head. Now those jobs can be done in seconds by ChatGPT.
The world is just different. Technology is getting stronger and growing, and it’s not going to stop evolving just because we’re uncomfortable. Fighting AI it isn’t worth your human brain cells unless you have access to Washington and can pass legislation regulating its use.
Reminder from above — “sales chart.”
That means despite all the hate, music fans aren’t running from AI, they’re enjoying it.
So, let’s …
Accept it.
Embrace it.
And use it.
The Pros and Cons
I don’t want machines writing this column or running the world, but don’t let fear of being replaced paralyze your vision for the future.
- AI can’t go meet listeners at a show.
- AI won’t take a client to lunch and get to know them better.
- AI can’t listen to your market and decide which move you should make next.
- And AI won’t steal your girlfriend. Well, maybe it will, that type of thing exists.
What AI can do is help all of us.
- It can sharpen copy.
- Recommend one-liners for your show tomorrow.
- Do artist or client research so you can spend more time talking to listeners or clients.
- Create a Metallica meets Muse brand deck that looks like a Pixar creation.
- It can recommend research design or give a take on the latest ratings.
It can even help you make music decisions.
The Turnstile Effect
Turnstile invaded my TikTok algorithm recently, so I ran a test specifically for this column by asking AI a very simple question. Keep in mind that my AI knows what I do for a living and I’ve taught it what “RockTernative” means.
Q: “I’m thinking of putting Turnstile’s ‘Birds’ into rotation. Give me the pros and cons.”
Here is the verbatim — no editing — response I got.
Pros of Adding “Birds” by Turnstile to Rotation
• Momentum & Credibility
Turnstile is one of the few modern rock bands with genuine cross-format heat. Adding “Birds” signals your station is paying attention and not stuck in a nostalgia loop.
• Youth Injection Without Chasing Trends
It brings a younger energy but still fits your texture — modern attitude layered on familiar RockTernative DNA.
• Sonic Freshness
“Birds” has bright, hooky edges that break up the mid-tempo sameness clogging most active/alt playlists right now. It gives the station a lift.
• Social & Sync Upside
Their tracks pop in sports, socials, reels, and gaming culture — you get some ambient brand heat for free.
Cons of Adding “Birds”
• Familiarity Curve
It’s not an automatic “know it on first spin” record. You’ll need patience to grow it unless you’ve conditioned your audience for new music.
• Polarization Risk
Legacy rock P1s may see Turnstile as “too alt” or “too new-school hardcore adjacent,” depending on market composition.
• Rotation Headroom
If your gold/current balance is tight, something’s getting benched. Is this the record you want to make room for?
• Market Fit Variability
Great band… but not equally great in all markets. If your market leans older, “Birds” might fly lower.
Net-Net (The AI Answer)
“Birds” is a high-upside add if your strategy includes fresh energy, cultural relevance, and younger audience reinforcement. It’s not the safest pick, but it’s a smart one if you’re trying to sound like tomorrow instead of last Tuesday.
The Bottom Line
You won’t get answers like that from Shazam, Mediabase or a label rep. And AI isn’t sitting in the background, monitoring your world, wondering whether to consider Turnstile.
AI doesn’t have to be the enemy. It can be your friend.
AI itself is not plotting our demise — maybe some of its creators are, but that’s an argument for another day.
If you’re worried your job is in jeopardy, remember, you’re human. You don’t need a prompt or wall jack to run.
Some jobs will be replaced. We don’t have elevator operators anymore either. The solution is tapping your human talent, instincts, and judgement in ways AI can’t replicate.
And in the meantime, try enjoying it. Start with Pantera’s “Walk” as a soul record. If you can’t appreciate this AI creation on some human level, the machines have already won.
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Keith Cunningham is a music industry and Rock/Alternative columnist for Barrett Media and the founder of Black Box Group, a modern-modeled creative & strategic consultancy built for brands that need strategies with teeth. He’s the former Master of Mayhem at 95.5 KLOS-FM in Los Angeles for over a decade, a nationwide consultant, and has been repeatedly voted one of America’s top Program Directors and strategic thinkers. Keith has built his career by taking multi-million-dollar brands from worst to first and leading Marconi & Gracie award winners along the way. A data nerd with a rock-and-roll heart, he is an advisory council member for St. Jude fundraising, a fantasy football champion, and lover of his daughters & dogs. Reach him at keithblackboxgroup@gmail.com or on LinkedIn or X.
