My mother died by suicide twenty years ago. Time has passed, but the loss has never left me. I still carry that grief every day, and it has shaped not only who I am as a person, but also who I have become as an artist and educator. That experience ultimately became the foundation of my life’s work: creating music that holds space for grief, connection, and healing.

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Working in higher education, I see how urgently this work matters. Many young artists live under intense emotional pressure, and suicide continues to affect students, families, and communities in heartbreaking ways. This reality has made me even more committed to building artistic projects that support mental health awareness with care, dignity, and responsibility.

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During my Fulbright project, I realized that when AI is used in mental health and suicide-related contexts without safeguards, it can easily produce harmful or misleading responses that resemble guidance or counseling. Recent incidents reported in the media have shown how catastrophic these failures can be, especially for individuals in crisis or those seeking emotional support. These moments made it clear that we are at a turning point. We must not only explore what AI can do for artists, but also establish clear protections for how it should and should not be used.

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As someone who teaches K-pop and artist entrepreneurship, I know that AI will continue to be part of our discussion, as we cannot stop the wave of technology. I do not encourage our students to rely on AI in their creative process because it does not clearly show the process of making art. That is exactly why we need responsible and trauma-informed practices that can guide artists if they decide to use AI. It has to be used ethically, safely, and with deep respect for human vulnerability. Through this project, I hope to build that foundation and demonstrate how art and technology, when guided with care, can create spaces of remembrance, healing, and hope.

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Ray Seol, Southborough MA, USA