Listeners: Oh yeah, that scratches the noggin, give me 10 more just like that.
The drive to have to have to create something genuinely novel is how neo-classical, art and fashion got to their current state which, while interesting, is completely divorced from the kind of clothes real people actually wear or art people hang on their walls. And when you need a fanbase you find a voice that resonates with people and riff off it.
Hell, most people describe their taste in art in terms of genres and styles that have rules and formulas. The fact that I know how every alt-z song is going to be structured from the first 15 seconds somehow doesn't make it less enjoyable to listen to.
I don't think AI is gonna take over or anything but I also think music is one of those areas where it can be more successful than average because people like formula in their music.
The rule of "learn how to blend in, then stand out" / "learn how to follow the rules then break them on purpose" makes AI an interesting tool because having the ability to take a unique concept and then make the AI "fill in" the parts where you don't want to break the mould sounds super useful.
Without real artists, AI is just going to lock us into the same genres of music for a very long time.