Posted on 03/01/2025 1:55:25 PM PST by nickcarraway
Jimmy Page and Brian May have both warned about artificial intelligence's potential to destroy art and bankrupt artists financially and spiritually, echoing recent exhortations made by Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi and many more musicians.
May voiced his concerns in support of the Daily Mail's campaign against the U.K. Labour Party's AI copyright proposal, which would allow tech companies to use existing copyrighted material to train AI unless the rights holders opt out.
Although Page did not explicitly reference any such campaign, he shared a lengthy and impassioned statement on Facebook in which he stressed the importance of "defending the sanctity of human creativity against the encroachment of AI" in order to "safeguard not just the rights of artists, but the very soul of our cultural heritage."
Brian May's AI Fears: 'The Future Is Already Forever Changed'
Although May supported the Daily Mail's campaign against the British government's AI copyright proposal, he also expressed fear that it might be too late to stop AI proponents from steamrolling over copyright laws and taking advantage of artists.
"My fear is that it's already too late – this theft has already been performed and is unstoppable, like so many incursions that the monstrously arrogant billionaire owners of Al and social media are making into our lives," May told the publication last week. "The future is already forever changed."
He continued: "But I applaud this campaign to make the public aware of what is being lost. I hope it succeeds in putting a brake on, because if not, nobody will be able to afford to make music from here on in."
READ MORE: Top 10 Brian May Queen Songs
Jimmy Page Implores Others to 'Celebrate and Preserve the Human Touch in Art'
Page took a more personal approach in his denunciation of AI, reflecting on his early days as a session musician and eventual world domination as a member of Led Zeppelin. He called his grueling early session days "a crucible of creativity, collaboration, and ceaseless inspiration," during which he "was required to create and conjure riffs and lyrical figures immediately without slowing down the momentum of the work being recorded with the other musicians and the artist."
"This journey from the anonymity of session work to the global stages with Led Zeppelin was not a path paved by algorithms or data sets," Page continued. "It was a voyage marked by spontaneous improvisation and the unquantifiable spark of human ingenuity. The alchemy that transformed a unique riff into an anthem was etched into the collective soul of the band — a synergy that no machine can emulate."
Page further dismissed AI-generated art as "hollow echoes, devoid of the struggles, triumphs, and soul that define true artistry." He added that "when AI scrapes the vast tapestry of human creativity to generate content, it often does so without consent, attribution, or compensation. This is not innovation; it’s exploitation."
The guitarist noted that if somebody had taken his work without credit or compensation, "it would have been deemed theft. The same standard must apply to AI." Therefore, he added, "We must champion policies that protect artists, ensuring that their work isn’t siphoned off into the void of machine learning without due regard. Let us celebrate and preserve the human touch in art — the imperfections, the emotions, the stories behind every note and cadence."
Paul McCartney, Bon Jovi and Other Rockers Who Have Vocally Opposed AI
In a January interview with the BBC, McCartney also opposed the U.K. government's AI proposals and demanded that the government support artists. "We're the people, you're the government! You're supposed to protect us. That's your job," he said. "So you know, if you're putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you're not gonna have them."
Last year, more than 200 artists also signed a letter from the Artist Rights Alliance that called on AI developers to change their approach to how music is used with the technology, referring to the current training models as an “assault on human creativity.”
The letter — signed by the likes of Pearl Jam, Bon Jovi, R.E.M., Peter Frampton, Elvis Costello, Stevie Wonder and many more — warned that "Al will set in motion a race to the bottom that will degrade the value of our work and prevent us from being fairly compensated for it."
This is my favorite
Language Warning
Rubbin’ And Tuggin’ My Nips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBSdycH-jzs
Have you never heard of the Guggenheim?
It might not be your taste ( I don't like "modern art"; however, there are many who do! ), but you don't have yto buy or even look at it.
No; there will always be people who think and see in new ways, and they will come up with new types of art.
In terms of technique, styles like pointillism, impressionism, and others, were probably not thought of by the Old Masters; and there will be more in the future that we can’t imagine now. And content will always be endlessly inspired as long as human experience and history continue.
Were making so much bad art because we’re developing ‘bad’ artists.
Trained ear, droop.
But AI music for mutt-faced masses? You enjoy that. Schadenfreude!
I’m not necessarily saying there not good music being made these days, but it’s all derivative.
That may be the most original AI to date...one of those -- 'we got the studio all weekend, tape is rollin', wgaf let me tell you what happened last night' ...
It's almost as impromptu as Elvis singing "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" in the back of a limo, after the documentary camera in "This Is Elvis" caught him talking about the action he got "last night".
That may be the most original AI to date...one of those — ‘we got the studio all weekend, tape is rollin’, wgaf let me tell you what happened last night’ ...
I can only imagine what Frank Zappa would have done with it, if he were still here.
Sounds like what The Mahavishnu Orchestra was doing 50 years ago.
I would take that over any SB halftime show of the past 25 years.
They were the original DEI halftime show.
Only a little. Maybe an influence. I’ve heard Mahavishnu for years but this is far different. More rhythmic. Better grooves.
And the guitarist is nowhere near McLaughlin’s caliber.
I thought in the UK, the people were subjects.
What’s the issue, Walrus?
I’ve noticed that one of the things people are listening to is old Muzak from the 70s, it’s suddenly become “hip”. And I think that’s what you will see, various retro styles will come back and fade just as quickly.
All the good art has already been made. Seriously, what else is there to do?
Of the various artists I’ve known in a variety of disciplines, none ever thought that all the good art had already been made - and the only time they wondered what else there was to do was when they were in a creative slump.
But don’t you agree we’ve definitely reached the point of diminishing marginal returns?
For example, I literally could listen to a song from the 1960s, and tell you not only the year, but the month of the song.
If you play me a song made after the year 2000, I couldn’t tell you the year, or even the decade, it all sounds the same now.
I am a fine art photographer. A number of art shows (not just photographs) I’ve entered in the last year have had totally created AI “photos”.
They are very eye appealing, vibrant but a little too “perfect”. They are original art, as are paintings and sculptures in the shows, but not photographs in the traditional sense.
Much like the trans (male) athletes, they need to have their own category and not be entered as a photograph.
This youtube link goes to a full Led Zeppelin II album, styled as if it was recorded in the 50s. I can’t tell if this is Ai, but it’s astoundingly good musicianship. I have listened to it multiple times.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5_9fYU8jd4&list=PLxJJ91HEdpROS5jLIxZpviMAvQ1f3oKYU&index=5
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