'An insult': How AI entered Sydney's underground music scene

Bootleggers is a live music space in Newtown that often showcases new local bands. (702 ABC Sydney: Isabella Michie)

A local musician has taken to social media to voice his frustration after a live music event aimed at showcasing emerging artists included an act that used AI-generated content.

Aidan Sammut was at rehearsal with his bandmates preparing for their gig in Sydney's inner west when they were told one of the artists on the line-up, Afro Charles, used AI-generated content in their music.

"We were like, 'How is that going to work? What is the performance actually going to be like?'" Sammut said.

"Shock and then the shock kind of turned into disgust, I guess. Just sort of being offended at the fact that this could actually happen."

Aidan Sammut posted an Instagram reel voicing his anger at the use of AI at a local gig, which has now received more than 200k views. (702 ABC Sydney: Isabella Michie)

The event called Mixed Bag, booked by music services company Good Intent, was held at Bootleggers in Kelly's on King in Newtown on Wednesday.

Sammut was not aware the event included acts that used AI and said "it was an insult" to be on the same line-up.

"My biggest issue is that the spot that was given to the AI artist could have been given to a human band," he told 702 ABC Sydney.

Sammut performed with solo artist Genevieve at Bootlegger's Mixed Bag event on Wednesday. (Supplied: @charnaj.live)

Damian Amamoo, the creator behind Afro Charles, has defended his decision to use AI in his music and said his usage is clearly stated on the musical act's Instagram page.

"There is a post there saying … we're a band of three, made up of two avatars or robots and a human being, " he said.

"And the human being [Amamoo] does the live performance vocals."

Good Intent has released a statement on social media that said they "take full responsibility" for not checking Amamoo's social media and did not encourage the use of AI.

"Good Intent and Bootleggers have never knowingly and will never book people who use AI to generate music."

Amamoo started his afro pop band late last year using AI music generator platform Suno.

Afro Charles consists of three members: Amamoo and two "virtual avatars" Mei Ling and Afro Charles, whose vocals are AI-generated.

"It's very fast … like I could write a song and give it to you, and then it could be sung in about five or six or seven different ways."

He saw AI as a tool to take music further, similar to drum machines or a synthesiser.

Damian Amamoo performed for the first time on Wednesday using a combination of his voca