

Cara
Stacey
Biography
Cara Stacey is a musician, composer and musicologist based in Johannesburg. Her research interests span Swati traditional music, musical bow praxis, music and climate change, and discourse around innovation and heritage within local indigenous musical traditions. Stacey is a lecturer in Creative Music Technologies at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Fostering Ethical Artificial Intelligence in Music Technology: Perspectives from the SAMTIC Consortium
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into music production, composition, and education presents both transformative possibilities and significant ethical challenges. This panel discussion examines how the Erasmus+ funded SAMTIC project provides an international, capacity-building framework for embedding ethical AI practices within music technology education across South African and European higher education institutions. Drawing on collaboration between South African partners—University of Pretoria, University of the Witwatersrand, and University of South Africa—and European centres of digital innovation, the panel explores how curriculum design, staff training, and infrastructure upgrades can integrate ethical reflection into hands-on AI-based music training. Key discussion areas include authorship and ownership in AI-generated music, algorithmic bias, data ethics, transparency of creative AI tools, and the safeguarding of local and indigenous musical knowledge. Particular attention is given to the Global South context, where unequal access to technology and historical exploitation heighten the need for responsible AI adoption. The panel argues that ethical AI in music technology must be treated as a pedagogical, cultural, and social imperative rather than a purely technical concern. By embedding ethical inquiry into creative practice, collaborative research, and artistic production, SAMTIC offers a model for values-driven digital transformation. The discussion concludes by highlighting the role of international partnerships in shaping inclusive, accountable, and culturally sustainable futures for AI in music education.
