Slash songwriter and Alter Bridge frontman Myles Kennedy has blasted artificial intelligence as a “writing tool”, insisting he refuses to “cheat” himself out of penning a tune from scratch.
Slash songwriter Myles Kennedy has blasted AI as a “writing tool”.
The Alter Bridge frontman – who has penned songs for the Blackbird rockers and the Guns N’ Roses guitarist – doesn’t ever want to “cheat” himself out of the “finding gold” feeling of writing a hit tune from scratch by allowing artificial intelligence (AI) to aid him in the process.
Speaking on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk, he said: “I will absolutely refuse to use it as a ‘writing tool’. That, to me, is… So wait, you’re gonna go to something that goes through the entire internet and takes other people’s work, and then somehow that’s going to be something you’re gonna feed off of as your … AI’s now your collaborator?
“I’ve been writing for the last 10 weeks just because I’ve had some downtime, and there’s nothing I love more than writing – period. Nothing.
“So why am I gonna deny myself the joy of the great scavenger hunt? That’s the way I look at it.
“You’re trying to problem solve and find parts and navigate through all of this stuff, and then when you find it, it’s like finding gold.
“There’s nothing better, as far as just the satisfaction you get.
“So why would I cheat myself by using AI to cut to the song that’s created in an afternoon?
“I’m kind of old school, I guess.
“But then there are other people who are gonna say, ‘You know what? I use AI, and it helps me write, and I’m more prolific because of it.’
“And I’m, like, ‘OK, well, if that works for you, good on you.’ But I’m not joining in on that one.”
Myles finds the songwriting process “so fascinating” and “very obsessive”, but insists he “would be lost” without it.
He added: “It’s not even close for me. I’ve had a really great career because I can… I guess I’m known as a singer and whatnot, but ultimately I’m a songwriter, and I think that’s what’s helped me in all of the projects I’m in, is having that thing, whatever that is, to continue to create new songs. And the way I do it – you can ask [my wife] Selena – it’s a little crazy. It’s very obsessive. When I open up that portal, I don’t step out for a long time. And I’m convinced it’s probably not healthy for me, ’cause I don’t sleep real well and I’m always kind of on call for when the next idea’s gonna pop into my head. And a lot of times it happens when you’re in kind of that strange sleep state. But I don’t know. That’s all I’ve known for – jeez – 30-plus years.”
Slash songwriter blasts AI in music: ‘Why would I cheat myself?’
