PANEL - AI: Friend or Foe? Protecting Music Creators in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence is rapidly reshaping the music industry, bringing both new opportunities and serious concerns for artists, songwriters, managers, and rights holders. This panel will explore the evolving impact of AI on music creation, synchronization, distribution, marketing, and monetization, while examining how the music community can responsibly navigate innovation and ensure that human creativity remains valued and protected.

Featured Speakers:

Benji Rogers, Co-President, Sureel AI

Benji is a British-born, New York–based entrepreneur and educator working at the intersection of music, media, and AI. As Co-President of Sureel AI, he focuses on explainability and attribution, ensuring creators and their work are recognized and fairly rewarded. As a Partner at Lark42, he helps startups secure funding, build products, and navigate market entry in music and AI—always emphasizing human-centered solutions over pure automation. He also teaches at Berklee College of Music, bringing both an artist's and a technologist's perspective to the evolving landscape of music and technology.

He has founded multiple companies, including one recognized on Fast Company's "Most Innovative Companies" list. He has been named to Billboard's 40 Under 40 and honored as Digital Executive of the Year.

Benji writes The Daily Active User, a weekly newsletter exploring what it means to be human within attention-maximizing systems—and how we might reclaim them for creativity and dignity. The Friday edition of Something For The Weekend includes curated recommendations on what to read, watch, and listen to.

Mark Frieser, Founder & CEO, Sync Summit

Kristin Grant, Head of Communications, Marketing and Members, Pipeline

Kristin Grant is the Head of Memberships for Pipeline Media, a finance platform that provides financial advances and streamlines the process of IP acquisition for labels, digital distributors and Publishers. Previously, Grant founded Westcott, a music ad-tech platform that deployed autonomous ad buys across large volumes of catalog music for music companies. Grant has published over 50 articles on Forbes, Billboard and the Hollywood Reporter with a focus on the intersection of music business and technology.

Mark Frieser is a Clio Award-winning entrepreneur, speaker, and internationally recognized leader at the intersection of music, technology, business, branding, and entertainment. As Founder and CEO of Disconic, an innovative music licensing platform, and creator of Sync Summit, one of the world's leading conferences focused on music synchronization, Mark has helped transform how artists, brands, media companies, and technology platforms connect, collaborate, and create value through music.

With more than two decades of experience spanning music licensing, sync, advertising, technology, and international business, Mark has worked with major companies and industry leaders around the globe. A recognized thought leader on the future of music and entertainment, he is known for bridging the worlds of music, media, and technology, helping brands, creators, and entrepreneurs navigate an evolving marketplace while fostering innovation, education, and new business opportunities across the industry.

Moderator:

​Michael Pelczynski, Chief Strategy & Impact Officer (CSIO), Voice Swap

Michael Pelczynski is a recognized music industry innovator and strategic executive shaping the future of digital rights, streaming economics, and AI in music at the intersection of technology and creative value. His work drives structural change in how music is licensed, monetized, and safeguarded in the modern economy.

As Chief Strategy & Impact Officer at Voice-Swap, Michael leads transformative vision, industry governance, and commercial execution, shaping how AI voice technology is responsibly adopted at scale. He conceived and launched the first technical certification for AI voice models--an industry-first standard developed with BMAT Music Innovators that codifies transparency and accountability in generative voice technology.

He also serves as Executive Vice President of Digital Strategy at Rostrum Pacific, steering enterprise-wide business development, licensing partnerships, distribution innovation, and AI-infused growth initiatives across key subsidiaries, including SpaceHeater Distribution.

Michael was a principal architect of Fan-Powered Royalties at SoundCloud, the first user-centric streaming payout model adopted by a major DSP and widely cited as a catalyst in reshaping streaming economics. This work was recognized by Fast Company through its Most Innovative Companies list, and by a World Changing Ideas Award honoring Michael’s structural innovation in reshaping streaming economics.

Earlier in his career, Michael held strategic roles at Warner Music Group, deepening his expertise in catalog administration, digital monetization, and rights optimization at scale. He is also the founder of Forms + Shapes, a consultancy advising music and technology companies navigating structural change, with a focus on AI, rights management, and next-generation business models.

A published speaker on AI ethics, streaming fraud, and the future of artist compensation, Michael combines creative roots as a songwriter and composer with executive rigor--delivering products, deals, and frameworks that future-proof the global music economy and align creator value with sustainable growth.