Entertainment
Big & Rich release protest song targeting artificial intelligence in music
The country duo's new track, 'Hello AI,' criticizes generative AI technology as a threat to human songwriters and intellectual property.
The short version
- Country music duo Big & Rich have released a new protest song and music video titled 'Hello AI' to criticize the use of artificial intelligence in music creation.
- Duo members Big Kenny and John Rich argue that AI-generated music relies on stolen, copyrighted works and poses an existential threat to human songwriters.
- The release comes amid broader industry debates over generative AI, with French streaming service Deezer estimating that AI-generated content makes up to 44% of its daily uploads.
Key facts
- Country duo Big & Rich released a new song and music video titled 'Hello AI' to protest the rise of artificial intelligence in music.[Billboard]
- Duo member John Rich characterized AI as an 'apocalyptic' threat to songwriters, arguing that machines plagiarize original music into untraceable derivatives.[Billboard]
- Big Kenny asserted that AI-generated music is derived from stolen works used without the consent of original creators.[Billboard]
- The music video features the duo writing lyrics with pencil and paper and performing at the Musicians Hall of Fame in Nashville.[Billboard]
- French streaming service Deezer recently estimated that fully AI-generated content constitutes up to 44% of its daily uploads, representing over 2 million songs per month.[Billboard]