Kid Rock recently took part in a challenge hosted by science and technology channel Core Memory, where he was tasked with judging an AI-generated country song created in his style. After listening to the final product, Rock ultimately rated the track as “average,” but the real takeaway became his stance on the growing presence of AI in music.
As AI-assisted songs continue to go viral—and even edge their way onto charts—the topic remains a complicated one. But when Rock was asked for his thoughts, he made it clear he wasn’t opposed to the technology. In fact, he openly welcomed the idea of AI mimicking his voice and songwriting style, even saying he’d perform a legitimately successful AI-crafted Kid Rock track.
Rock did acknowledge that embracing AI could also backfire, especially given his outspoken political views. Offering his full perspective on the matter, he said:
“The songwriters, I have, you know, a special place in my heart for them. Like, I don’t know how it works out for them. Like, there might have to be some legislation there or whatnot. And maybe for artists, too. I’m not against it, but I don’t think we need to be unreasonable about something we can’t stop. I mean, my attitude personally is, like, if a hundred thousand people want to be out there writing songs with my intellectual property, whatever, my voice — go for it. I hope somebody nails one. If you nail one, I’ll give you a piece of it. Because I get to go sing that live and we make the majority of our money live at the gate. Now what’s going to happen is the other half of the country that are writing songs, like you know, Kid Rock wants to blow Joe Biden, you know, stuff like that. And I’ll laugh at that too, there will probably be some funny stuff there.”
Rock went on to frame AI as simply another tool advancing with the times, adding:
“[AI is] another tool. You can pound in a nail with a rock if you want. Go for it. Or you can get a nail gun. … Technology, you’re not going to stop it. So let’s figure out how to use it. Make life better. There’s going to be some adjustments. Yeah, industries are going to lose some workers and stuff, but they’ll come back in other spaces somewhere. It’s always worked out throughout time.”
While Rock may be open to AI-created music, he remains firmly against one particular use of AI in the industry: ticket bots. He has previously worked with the Trump administration on legislation intended to combat scalping practices, advocating for tech-based identity verification for online buyers.
It’s worth noting that Rock speaks from a position of relative security—his career was established long before the decline of physical music sales and the rise of streaming. Younger or emerging artists face a different reality.
Earlier this year, Holding Absence vocalist Lucas Woodland shared that an AI-generated “band,” modeled directly on their catalog, had surpassed the real group’s monthly Spotify listeners—847,638 at the time—within just two months. Woodland reacted to the development, sayin:
“So, an AI ‘band’ who cite us as an influence (ie, it’s modelled off our music) have just overtaken us on Spotify, in only TWO months. It’s shocking, it’s disheartening, it’s insulting – most importantly – it’s a wake up call. Oppose AI music, or bands like us stop existing.”
Though the band has since regained a lead of roughly 30,000 monthly listeners, the situation underscores what many in the industry view as a warning sign. Beyond concerns over consent and creative ownership, musicians must now contend with the sheer speed and volume at which AI can generate music.
Where a band may spend months developing a new release, AI can produce endless iterations in minutes. While defenders of human-made music often point to emotional authenticity, nuance, and innovation as irreplaceable qualities, advancements in modeling techniques continue to narrow that gap—raising questions about what the next few years may hold.
[Via ThePRP]
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