In 2024, New York composer and musician Carl Allocco was diagnosed with tongue cancer, an illness that permanently robbed him of his ability to sing. However, the artist, whose career in the music industry spans decades, found a way forward through technology. Today, with the help of artificial intelligence—specifically the Suno platform—he is reviving his lost voice and continuing to write and produce songs.
Allocco, who worked with major record labels like RCA and MCA as far back as the 1980s, now uploads his archival recordings into Suno’s database. Drawing on this data, the AI generates vocal tracks that faithfully replicate his authentic voice. As the musician himself notes, hearing his voice again felt uncanny at first. He refers to the synthesized voice in the third person, sharing that while he misses that voice, he is also proud of it.
Although Allocco now actively embraces the technology, he admits that before his diagnosis, he would have opposed AI-generated music. For him, music had always been about live collaboration and organic experimentation among bandmates. But reality shifted, and with it, his perspective.
The Suno platform itself, along with AI-generated music in general, sits at the center of intense criticism and legal battles surrounding copyright infringement. Musicians and record labels accuse the company of using copyrighted material without authorization. While Suno representative Mike Schilling declined to delve into ongoing litigation, he emphasized that their goal is to collaborate with the industry—as evidenced by partnerships with Warner and BMG—rather than facilitate the theft of others’ work.
While artificial intelligence cannot undo the physical toll cancer took on Carl Allocco, it has allowed him to keep doing what he loves. After ten months of working on the project, Allocco says he is thrilled with the results—and this is now his new reality.
