The description did not make it clear that AI had been used, nor that Ed Sheeran- the living, breathing, writing, singing artist- had no involvement whatsoever. Perhaps that information was buried somewhere, but I didn’ t see it.
It felt like a cheap shot: a manipulative leveraging of Ed Sheeran’ s popularity for someone’ s“ Christian agenda.” It felt fake. Untrue. Artificial. To me, it was not a good way to point people toward the truth of Jesus Christ.
And I couldn’ t help wondering how Ed Sheeran himself might feel about his voice and likeness being used this way.
“ Jesus answered,‘ I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’”
John 14:6
“ Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
“ Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:32
This is not an anti‐AI article. I am not opposed to the use of AI. But this particular use of AI was, in my opinion, a misuse- because it was untrue.
My Facebook friend was mistaken. I could say they’ d been fooled- and I’ m sure they were not alone. As I scanned the comments beneath the video, many overjoyed viewers genuinely believed this was an Ed Sheeran“ worship song.” They’ d been taken in. They hadn’ t realized the truth. I might have been equally gullible myself had I not already become aware of AI‐generated music and video content.
Maybe I’ m out of touch, but this technology seems to have arrived fast and hard. Have we paused long enough to consider how it should be used? At the moment, it appears that the ability for anyone to do almost anything with AI is racing well ahead of the slow‐moving legal systems meant to regulate such things.
What I’ m hearing is that record labels, artist managers, musicians themselves, and their lawyers are now catching up. The AI landscape- at least as it relates to music creation- may be about to change. Perhaps soon, maybe even by the time you’ re reading this, AI‐generated songs that look and sound like someone they’ re not, could become a thing of the past.
Still, I’ m not against change. What’ s happening with AI technology doesn’ t need to be feared. A revolution in music creation driven by new technology is nothing new. It has happened before, and it will happen again. True artistry will survive- and even thrive. In fact, an entirely new horizon of creativity may now be opening up before us.
When recorded music first moved from live performance into specially built studios, some cried,“ Fake!” When it became known that artists recorded multiple takes but released only the best one, people cried,“ Fake!” When The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and others began overdubbing themselves using multitrack recording, some cried,“ Fake!” MIDI was labelled fake by some. When recording moved from analogue tape to digital systems- with tools for correcting pitch and timing- people cried,“ Fake!” When artists sampled existing recordings and built new songs from them, people shouted,“ Fake!” Even today, some believe using backing tracks in live performance is fake.
Each of these technological breakthroughs opened new creative possibilities. Not every change suited every taste, but true artistry endured. Creative people adapted and kept creating.
I’ ve only recently begun using AI myself. I’ ve been cautious- perhaps even slow. But like it or not, AI is here to stay. I can either learn to work within this new landscape or reject it and risk being left behind. Like any tool, AI can be used by true artists to make meaningful art. It can also be misused. Some AI‐assisted creations will enhance God‐given creativity; others will not. Some will reveal God’ s glory; some, I assume, will not.
But let’ s remember this: we who call ourselves Christians claim a unique relationship with God through Jesus the Christ- the Creator of all creativity. God expresses His character and creativity through His people, His Church. Each of us bears something of His creative imprint. When humans create- whether assisted by AI or not- we are, I believe, channeling something of God. He is the Creator. We are stewards of the creativity He has graciously entrusted to us.
I still believe- indeed, I must believe- that the music which truly connects and moves people is ultimately shaped by honesty, vulnerability, struggle, and the sweat and toil of the craftsman; by the emotional, physical, and spiritual striving of a deeply human life lived before Almighty God.
Whether we’ re assisted by AI or not, may we use the creativity entrusted to us wisely- and to His glory.
Note: AI did not write this article. I did. But AI was used to proofread, edit, and polish it in far less time than it would have taken otherwise.
Grant Norsworthy Grant is the founder of More Than Music Mentor- providing online & onsite training for the heart & the art of worshipping singers, instrumentalists & technicians. Grant’ a passion is to IMPROVE musicality, INCREASE participation, INSTILL unity & INSPIRE worship in The Church worldwide. An Aussie who also lived in Nashville, TN, USA for 17 years as a pro CCM muso, today Grant lives and works from his Nelson New Zealand home base.
MoreThanMusicMentor. com Facebook. com / GrantNorsworthy
January 2026 Subscribe for Free... 31