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    NOTHING MORE’s Jonny Hawkins Defends AI In Music: “AI Isn’t A Danger To Good Artists, Only Sh*tty Ones”

    SenecaBy 212 Comments3 Mins Read
    The Mosh Network - Nothing More vocalist Jonny Hawkins performing live, circa 2023

    Nothing More are sparking conversation again with the release of the music video for “EXISTENTIAL DREAD”, a track from their latest album Carnal. The video, which prominently features artificial intelligence, touches on themes of technology’s pervasive role in modern life—both lyrically and visually.

    Ahead of the video’s August 18th debut, a teaser posted last week stirred some controversy, with fans and critics debating the use of AI in the arts.

    Accoding to Ronnie Radke The Mosh Network is the reason music is "gay af now"

    Vocalist Jonny Hawkins addressed the backlash directly on social media, making his stance clear. Responding to a fan questioning whether AI-generated music poses a threat to musicians, Hawkins wrote:

    “AI isn’t a danger to good artists, only shitty ones. Good artists know that tools evolve and they evolve with them. I’ll take it a step further… If AI can connect with people as authentically, write as good of songs with nuance, and perform them in a way that satisfies people in a way that a real human can, then it deserves to take my job. That’s evolution.”

    When another fan argued that AI undermines the human aspect of art, Hawkins countered:

    “There is a huge difference between letting a machine create something and using a machine to create something. Nine Inch Nails is a perfect example of a prolific artist who used machines to sculpt their sound. It’s all about how you use the tool that determines art, not which tools you are using.”

    Hawkins also clarified that the AI in the video was used as part of a collaborative process with a director:

    “I literally worked with the artist directly. Lmao. I had concepts that I shared with him and we bounced creative ideas back and forth on multiple calls. Then he story-boarded, generated and edited multiple versions together… like we do with almost every project we take on. Different visions require different tools. Sometimes we want it to be organic, and sometimes we want it to be otherworldly. This one was the latter. The vision dictates the medium and tools that we use.”

    With “EXISTENTIAL DREAD”, Nothing More are proving that AI isn’t a threat to creativity—it’s just another instrument in the hands of artists willing to explore it.

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    212 Comments

      • Kris Hiser on

        Dennis Krohne Well…. those people are not currently listening to nothing more, so maybe that’s the point.

        Reply
      • Tommy Simmons on

        Bradley Harris yes, and I also remember the time Bobby Boucher showed up at halftime and helped the mud dogs win the bourbon bowl!🥣

        Reply
        • Bradley Harris on

          Tommy Simmons Don’t let this distract you from the fact that Hector is going to be running three Honda civics with spoon engines, and on top of that, he just went into Harry’s and bought three t66 turbos with nos, and a motec exhaust system.

          Reply
        • Adin Poor on

          You know, The sad thing here. Is that most people who comment about Hector would not even know if they were looking at a spoon engine. And they should. It’s pretty Impressive engineering.

          Reply
    12. Diversify the Radio on

      If you don’t need it why use it? So you can dump a bunch of mediocre music? I’ve came across a fair share of AI generated music, I’ll pass.

      Reply
    23. Drew Anderson on

      He should be worried then. Also, fuck this DV committing prick. Court documents show that he intentionally ran over his gf with a truck.

      Reply
        • Brad Sands on

          Jordan Smith it’s like all kinds of music soo does everyone else. And dude is pretty talented and making money doing it

          Reply
        • Jordan Smith on

          Brad Sands ok. Cool. Him being talented is still a matter of opinion. So not really sure what we’re doing here.

          Reply
        • Joel Courtney on

          Jordan Smith you’re making subconscious gestures with your original comments that say you believe he has AI contributions to their success.

          He’s saying that he’s organically talented, thus creating his defense that it’s inherent talent and not computer generated.

          Hope this helps.

          Reply
    30. Mike Donaldson on

      I think something has gone to this man’s head. When an AI band can amass over 100k followers without people realizing it was an AI band, I don’t see that as a good thing. Music is subjective. Some of us see it as art, the most important form of art. Others see it as just something to listen to. He should have worded this differently like “AI can be a really helpful tool in helping to generate ideas, that are then brought to life by the artist.” Something along the lines of that and you wouldn’t see people have such a reaction to it. I think he must have forgot that it took his band a long time to get on people’s radar. They weren’t always the well oiled machine they are now. It’s easy for him to talk about what bands are shit in relation to AI when his band has already made it. Just stfu and sing and do your goddamn crossfit or whatever you do buddy.

      Reply
    34. Ryan Logan on

      Already had to do whatever that thing he does with the switches and levers for show, now you’re using AI?
      Media: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia2.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2Fv1.Y2lkPTEyMGMwMTQ3a2M3cDh4Yzh1M2V1eXRoZ3E4cG5xcjMzMjZrM2dvMno1dG03M2dxNSZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n%2FWU7XWCOO1OHQz6uOyG%2Fgiphy.gif&h=AT01CDXU7Bh_nnn3Xw6i6OpHfpZFRj2fhS2hZ5Qf7uMQTiGLUlesZCSCl9lgiwwTYUv-QlU9DkqpgPAArANyj8SQwM7jIGGM-bjpaF9Vww5Wc8kny-aTEMWsp0vPWyug&s=1

      Reply
        • Chris Kelly on

          Jonathon Danner can you guys like, read what I said again? There’s no hate to Nevermore. See, why the joke is funny is because it’s referring to somebody else (in this case the vocalist to the band ‘Nothing More’) utilizing an AI band name generator. The band name ‘Nothing More’ just sounds like they were big fans of Nevermore, therefore that is why I said what I said, and that’s why the joke works the way that it does 👍

          Reply
        • Jonathon Danner on

          Chris Kelly oh don’t cut yourself being so edgy. You are just mad your “joke” is lame. Come on man your losing the war with baldness with that recessing hairline at a young age. You have already failed at life and have zero platform.

          Reply
        • Chris Kelly on

          Jonathon Danner and YOU’RE using AI to make a profile picture, prolly cause you’re too self conscious about your own dumb face. I know I look young, but I’m actually middle aged, thanks for the compliment!! I must be doing something right 🤷‍♀️

          Reply
    37. Vonti Avant on

      Dude that is not even close to his sentiment, and what he said directly before and after that prove it. Fucked up to chop and screw this headline together like yall did.

      Reply
      • Garrett DuPriest on

        William Heston tf???
        Clearly u have no idea what your talkin about 🤣

        But I forgot in this day in age people can say whatever they want and pretend it’s true 🤦‍♂️ 😂

        Get a life

        Reply
    40. James Epilogue on

      Figures with a band name that sounds like it was spit out of a generic band name generator that a member would defend AI lol

      Reply
    44. Robert Becker on

      Incoming boomerish comments where they have no idea what they arw talking about. Last “new” band they even know is the red hot child predators.. i mean chilli peppers

      Reply
    45. Agsg Agsg on

      Isn’t this band radio rock? That genre has been copy and paste since the early 2000’s, of course he thinks ai music is cool.

      Reply
      • Benjamin Robert Grogg on

        Agsg Agsg to be fair he isn’t defending AI generated music he’s defending the use of AI in their stage shows. Regardless, he ran over his fiance on purpose after pushing her out of a moving vehicle.

        Reply
    46. Josh Elwell on

      Saw this band live at a festival a year or so ago. Of 100 or so bands I’ve seen, they are only one of a small few I sat through because they were boring.

      I feel he’s only in a band to prance around shirtless and body painted to show off his physique.

      Reply
    52. Franny Zupancic on

      In a way he’s right. Good artists don’t use AI at all, only shitty ones do. If you’re a good artist you wouldn’t need something “generated” for you that you could create yourself.

      Reply
        • Ke'Ondre Bray on

          Pons it’s a tool that strips away human creativity, does all of the work, and thrashes the environment. You, your stance on AI and the company you work for can all eat the same dick

          Reply
        • Pons Javier on

          Ke’Ondre Bray ahhh, an insult, the only response from a person whose best argument is “I got nothing” when you are ready to have a substantial conversation where I could potentially see things your way (or not) let me know and we’ll let you rejoin the adult table.

          Reply
        • Pons Javier on

          Benjamin Robert Grogg as entitled as you think you are, you dont decide who is a musician. And btw I dont use ai in music creation. I use it in my job and my side business .

          Reply
    58. Eric Pavlacka on

      The fact that he says it’s ok because it’s only a danger to shitty musicians shows how unaware of how bad his band is. Generic butt rock bands are probably the ones who should be most alarmed.

      Reply
    60. Dion Miller on

      If its marketed like actual musicians,meaning whoever is making it is getting paid, clout, sponsored,etc over a quick video or goof based of just what it is without the marketing: a song made by ai with no effort besides thinking the prompt. Then It absolutely is a detriment to real musicians.

      They said the same about artists or writers. But now ai is starting to invade the art and writing scene With ai commercials, boards, articles, I even remember a story of a lawyer using an ai generated defense.

      That completely discredits and removes the need of people actually passionate about it and want to make it a career. Where its going, I see record companies doing this too. Same with movie or show producers. Same with “authors” who might choose to make a quick buck by having ai make a best selling novel for them.

      I’m not against ai being a tool or a fun thing to play with. I used Suno once upon to make goofy metal songs about taco tuesday or something, for shits and giggles.
      I use ChatGPT to quickly pull up sources that would take way longer to google and scroll through.
      PSA: thats how you use chatgpt more efficiently btw. You don’t just ask it a question, you wanna ask it to source it,preferably from multiple biases or non-biases so you can fact check it. Not being a smart-ass, genuinely trying educate since people tend to not do that and take it on its word based off algorithm over read and quoted sources.

      But as someone very passionate about creative art and expression (read,write, draw, play instruments, trying to learn to paint) it’s a little startling to see ai take over the industries that I’m very fond of and might want to potentially pursue.

      Reply
    66. Sebastian Cline on

      Ai literally steals art from GOOD, SKILLED artists, mashes it up, and literally shits it out. No credit to the original creator. No compensation for using their work. Just an amalgamation of shit that was once artwork. Fuck this guy, whoever the fuck he is.

      Reply
    81. Jonathan Daniel Thomas on

      Read: unsuccessful artists.

      Way to kick out the ladder. How many of your songs are ghost written?

      Reply
    83. Stephanie Bailey on

      I mean AI is a literal danger to our environment and slurping up our clean drinking water while billionaires are silently buying up the rest of it on us, but sureeee

      Reply
    85. Gabriel Ledezma on

      False, music is everywhere- not just albums and concerts. Music is used in movies, games, commercials, public spaces, etc. The companies in charge of said examples would rather pay for AI-made music instead of hiring proper musicians.

      Reply
    86. Josh Yelverton on

      He’s basically saying that good artists can never be eclipsed by AI generated shit. He’s not wrong either. Context clues, people….

      Reply
    87. Josh Keith on

      It’s dangerous in the sense that if it gets “advanced” enough, record companies will just crank out AI music instead of paying actual musicians.

      It won’t stop musicians from existing; we’ll still post our music on YouTube and Spotify.

      Reply
    89. Jace Hackworth on

      The sheer amount of AI slop that fills up sites meant to consume real art is terrible. The only reason you would ever defend AI use if if you’re a shitty artist.

      Reply
    97. Jeremy Barbour on

      “we’re so fuckin good we can use AI” how is this your actual argument at least own up to not being creative

      Reply
    98. Thompson Tyler on

      Its not a danger to bands with good stage presence.

      Name one person who listens to the blue man group in their car.

      Not standing up for AI at all, just trying to think ahead because I dont think Theres much we can do to stop it.

      Reply
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