Jack Antonoff isn’t holding back on his thoughts on music makers who use artificial intelligence.
The Bleachers frontman and music producer shared a lengthy letter (below) on his Instagram Wednesday, saying there’s “nothing more embarrassing than considering there is a way to optimize that holy process” of music creation.
“What we do has become an ancient ritual,” he wrote. “You don’t have to write music, you don’t have to record it and you don’t have to bring out the band and play it. And yet for us, the idea of optimizing what we do is a complete miss of the entire point of what compels us in the first place. We (myself, the band and everyone I know, frankly) have never been looking for this work to become quicker or easier. We were never frustrated by the randomness and magic it takes. We do it for that exact reason — and without the process itself ::: nothingness.”
The frequent Taylor Swift collaborator added that the “bad actors” in the industry will eventually “reveal themselves through slop” that they produce.
“So to everyone who is gassed up about the new ways you can fake making art, by all means, drive right off that cliff. We’re genuinely happy to see you go,” he added. “Generations coming will be engaging in the ancient ritual of writing, recording and performing as it comes to us from God.”“So as we embark on this strange detour where the bad actors will willingly reveal themselves through slop, and the struggling great will be further spread thin to make an honest living doing what they were put on Earth to do, we (myself, the band and frankly everyone I know) remain more dedicated than ever to reveal what comes from within. Writing music, recording and performing it — that’s it. Nothing more embarrassing than considering there is a way to optimize that holy process,” Antonoff continued, calling AI music creators “Godless whores.”
