Artificial intelligence in music therapy: a new era of personalized care and scalable impacts.

Abstract

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has quickly permeated various professional fields, including creative and therapeutic disciplines. In music therapy, AI provides tools that can augment traditional practices through enhanced workflows, creativity, personalized interventions, and data-driven insights.This article explores the potential of AI in music therapy, detailing its applications across planning, implementation, and evaluation phases. Trending AI technologies for generating text, images, music, and videos, that enrich therapy by tailoring interventions to diverse populations and individual client needs, are introduced. Selection criteria are outlined to guide music therapists in choosing appropriate tools for their practice. As an example, the e-book Pippin the Piano demonstrates how AI can generate valuable clinical resources. A field test highlights how the AI-generated materials complement telepractice through dynamic storytelling and interactive engagement while maintaining the therapist's central role in guiding therapy and building meaningful connections. Ultimately, AI holds significant promise for innovative therapeutic practices, but its integration requires digital skills, ethical awareness, and must adhered to professional standards. Therefore, an initial framework of core competencies is presented to guide music therapists in navigating these challenges. In conclusion, thoughtfully incorporating AI enables therapists to expand accessibility, inclusivity, and impact, while remaining competitive in an AI-driven job market.