Slash has weighed in on the growing debate around the use of AI in music, revealing that he has some concerns about it.
Over the past year, the use of artificial intelligence has been a contentious subject in music as its technology has advanced.
Last month, over 200 artists including Billie Eilish, Robert Smith, Stevie Wonder and Nicki Minaj signed an open letter put together by Artists Rights Alliance warning against the “predatory” use of AI in music while MPs have suggested that musicians and celebrities should be protected against AI deepfakes by law.
Now, Slash has given his two cents on the issue. “I’m not super excited about this new development,” the Guns N’ Roses guitarist told Battleground Podcast [via Louder], “only because I just know that people, for the most part, are gonna use it so much that it’s gonna be confusing and misleading.”
“There’s just gonna be too much of the same kind of look or sound for different things. I see it happening already.”
He added: “I’m the guy that likes to go into a studio and record a band live and do it analog. So the idea of AI, I can’t think of any application where it makes any sense to me for what it is that I do.
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“And I’m interested to see who comes up with something really great and unique and useful for me. But having AI reproduce anything or actually produce anything original in terms of music does not really thrill me.”
Earlier this month, Slash revealed that Guns N’ Roses are currently “trying” to make a new album, and that he is “working with them in that capacity”.
The hard rock legends have not released a full-length record since 2008’s much-delayed ‘Chinese Democracy’, on which Slash did not appear. Since he rejoined in 2016, they have released a handful of new tracks, including ‘Absurd’, ‘Hard Skool’, ‘Precious’ and ‘The General’, but there has been no confirmation of a further album.
“Guns N’ Roses are trying to make their own record,” he told the Daily Star (via Music News), when asked why he didn’t invite Axl Rose onto his own solo album. “And I’m working with them in that capacity, but this [solo album] didn’t involve anyone else.”
“It was my own side thing, so I wasn’t dragging my own guys in.”
Earlier this month, Slash released his blues album ‘Orgy Of The Damned’ via Gibson Records. Its lead single was a cover of Howlin’ Wolf’s ‘Killing Floor’, which featured AC/DC’s Brian Johnson and Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler on harmonica.