Duff McKagan believes new artificial intelligence models to create music won’t affect Guns N’ Roses.
While some worry AI might make music less human, the bassist isn’t concerned. In a recent chat with Classic Rock, he admitted he doesn’t know much about AI and doesn’t see it as a threat to rock music:
“As far as music goes, for a rock band like Guns N’ Roses, it doesn’t apply. I don’t think it could. There’s nothing better than sitting down and writing a song on an acoustic guitar. There’ll never be anything better than that.”
He shared what he thinks about GNR-related AI content on social media:
“I see there’s Al art on Instagram on Guns N’ Roses, and some of the stuff’s great, and my skin always looks amazing in it. I’m like: ‘I like this AI, my hair! That coat! I wish I had that coat!’ But in seriousness, I don’t know enough about it. As far as it applies to music, I don’t see it at all.”
Other Rockers Who Agree With McKagan
Judas Priest’s Ian Hill also holds a similar position to McKagan. In a May interview with Radiocast BG, the bassist was asked how AI might affect heavy metal music and the metal community. He responded by saying:
“I just think that artificial intelligence can’t really perform live. I mean, this is what it’s coming down to. A lot of music, especially in the pop world these days, is a little bit on the false side — people mime to it and what have you. And A.I. can’t even do that. You can’t have artificial intelligence standing on stage. That ain’t gonna work. So, from a recording point of view, yeah, they might fool people — they might fool a hell of a lot of people — but, actually, when they say there’s a band playing live, that’s gonna be the acid test, isn’t it?”
Hill isn’t the only rocker not worried about AI in music. Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt also said AI might aim for perfection, but rock music thrives on imperfections. He noted that AI can’t capture the raw, unpredictable nature of rock.