Cape Verde’s Culture Minister Says AI Can’t Replace Authentic Sound, Calls for More Music Funding

Veiga spoke at the Atlantic Music Expo in Praia, where AI was a central theme. The event precedes the Kriol jazz festival and aims to link Africa, Europe, and the Americas through live music. Delegates highlighted AI tools for mixing, mastering, and marketing as ways for low‑budget artists to reach global audiences, while stressing that technology should not replace talent. Veiga has long sought to make Cape Verde a hub of world culture, especially in music, and is lobbying for allocations from the tourism tax and diaspora bonds targeting communities in Boston and Lisbon.

- Veiga told the Guardian that artists must work with AI rather than be overwhelmed by it, asserting that AI will never cover what is authentic and urging discussion on integrating AI for cultural and economic benefit. - Cape Verde’s culture ministry receives a budget of $6 million, which accounts for less than one percent of the country’s total national budget. - South Africa retracted its proposed national AI policy after discovering that the draft contained citations generated by artificial intelligence.

The minister’s remarks signal a push to protect artistic identity while seeking financial support for the music sector. By tying potential funding to tourism taxes and diaspora bonds, Veiga aims to increase resources beyond the current $6 million allocation. The South African policy reversal shows governments are scrutinizing AI‑generated content, which could influence how Cape Verde shapes its own AI guidelines for culture. Artists warn that while AI can aid production, it cannot substitute the emotion of live performance, especially in markets with weak intellectual‑property safeguards.