Nile Rodgers wants musicians to embrace new AI technology: “People complaining sounds like the noise we’ve been hearing all our lives”
As the debate surrounding AI in music rages on, the Chic guitarist makes it clear he’s a proponent.
Photo: Dimitri Hakke / Getty Images
Nile Rodgers has made his stance on AI clear, stressing that we must embrace new technology rather than fear it.
Speaking to The Daily Star’s Wired column, the Chic guitarist explains that the fear around AI was very much the same as the fear around drum machines when they arose decades ago.
“I hear people talking about fake stuff,” says Rodgers. “That sounds like noise to me. That sounds like the noise we’ve been hearing all our lives.
“The drum machine and sequencer have been wonderful tools. There are bands that could never have had a record if it wasn’t for a sequencer.”
He continues, citing Avicii as an example of an widely known artist who didn’t shun new technology, but embraced it instead.
“I used to work with Avicii and Avicii didn’t understand tertiary harmony. He would write the most beautiful songs without knowing what he was doing – his ear was telling him what to do.
“How could he do it? Because he had gear. His gear allowed him to do that. His equipment allowed him to express himself.”
While Avicii passed away in 2018, aged 28, Rodgers and Avicii did record together back in 2013. However, their collaboration was never released.
More and more musicians have been weighing in on the discussion of how AI might impact their work.
Paul McCartney just announced that he is jumping on the artificial intelligence bandwagon to help create “the final Beatles record”.
In an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Martha Kearney, McCartney says that he is using AI to extract John Lennon’s vocals from old audio in order to re-create the track.
“So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles’ record, it was a demo that John had [and] we were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI. Then we can mix the record, as you would normally do. So it gives you some sort of leeway.”
