Jack Antonoff on AI in music warns of nothingness

Jack Antonoff has articulated a critical and cautionary perspective on the use of artificial intelligence in music, emphasizing the significance of traditional artistry over technological simplifications. In a statement captured by MusicTech, Antonoff expressed skepticism towards the integration of AI in the music creation process, describing attempts to expedite or simplify music-making as misguided. He argues that the essence of music lies in the time-honored rituals of writing, recording, and performing.

Antonoff’s remarks underline his concern that AI might dilute the authenticity and intentionality inherent in these processes, reducing them to mere mechanical outputs devoid of creative depth. His commentary reflects a broader dialogue in the music industry about the impact of technological advancements on artistic expression. This critical stance sheds light on potential challenges and ethical considerations that arise when technology intersects with creative endeavors.

Jack Antonoff posted on social media criticizing the use of artificial intelligence to create music, and those remarks were reported by MusicTech. In his public posts he issued a direct warning to proponents of AI-generated art, writing: “To everyone who is gassed up about the new ways you can fake making art, by all means drive right off that cliff.” He also referred to the appearance of low-quality outputs when he wrote that bad actors will reveal themselves by generating “slop.” These statements formed the core of his immediate public reaction to recent AI developments in music.

Antonoff described the work of writing, recording and performing music as “an ancient ritual,” and he articulated resistance to efforts to make that work faster or easier. He said: “What we do has become an ancient ritual. You don’t have to write music anymore, you don’t have to record it and you don’t have to bring the band out and play it. And yet for us, the idea of optimising what we do is a complete miss of the entire point of what compels us in the first place.” He added a further explicit position, stating: “We (myself, the band and everyone I know) have never been looking for this work to become quicker or easier.” He additionally claimed that such a process leads to nothingness.

Antonoff reiterated his opposition to optimisation of creative practice in a pointed formulation, stating: “Writing music, recording and performing it – that’s it. Nothing more embarrassing than considering there is a way to optimise that holy process. Godless whores.” The MusicTech coverage of these remarks also noted wider discussion in the music community, including Adam Neely addressing de-skilling and AI’s limits in replacing human taste on the Within Reason podcast. These combined statements capture Antonoff’s publicly expressed, critical and cautionary stance on AI in music.

“To everyone who is gassed up about the new ways you can fake making art, by all means drive right off that cliff.”

“What we do has become an ancient ritual. You don’t have to write music anymore, you don’t have to record it and you don’t have to bring the band out and play it. And yet for us, the idea of optimising 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) have never been looking for this work to become quicker or easier.”

“Writing music, recording and performing it – that’s it. Nothing more embarrassing than considering there is a way to optimise that holy process. Godless whores.”

Adam Neely discussed the idea of de-skilling in music production on the Within Reason podcast, addressing concerns around the role of artificial intelligence in reducing the need for traditional musical skills among practitioners. On that episode, he also discussed limits on AI’s ability to replace human taste in music, noting the concept of AI having constrained capacity to stand in for individual aesthetic judgment.

MusicTech’s article on Jack Antonoff’s statements referenced Neely’s comments from the Within Reason podcast when summarizing wider industry responses to AI-related developments. The coverage presented Neely’s points on de-skilling and AI’s limits in replacing human taste as part of the broader conversation reported in the MusicTech piece. The MusicTech article included Neely’s comments alongside other reactions to AI in music.

The MusicTech article is the published report referenced for Jack Antonoff’s remarks on artificial intelligence in music. The provided source list for the article includes the MusicTech link used to document these statements. The available material identifies MusicTech as the outlet that covered Antonoff’s social media posts and the surrounding discussion.

The material states that Bleachers are touring and that the tour schedule is available on the Bleachers official website. The provided content does not include specific tour dates, venues, or a copy of the schedule. The available sources do not provide further detail about the tour itinerary or ticketing information.

Related keywords explicitly present in the provided material include: “AI in music”, “slop”, “ancient ritual of writing, recording and performing”, “optimising music”, “bad actors in the industry”, “Adam Neely”, “Within Reason podcast”, “de-skilling”, “Bleachers touring”, “AI tools”, “human taste”, “Instagram post / social media letters”, and “MusicTech article”. Adam Neely and the Within Reason podcast are listed as part of the broader conversation referenced in the material. The provided content does not supply additional keywords beyond those explicitly listed.

Jack Antonoff publicly criticized the use of artificial intelligence to create music, posting statements that framed music-making as a process that should not be expedited or replicated by technology. He described writing, recording and performing music as “an ancient ritual” and said that he and his collaborators “have never been looking for this work to become quicker or easier,” warning that bad actors will reveal themselves by generating “slop.” Antonoff also asserted that “writing music, recording and performing it – that’s it” and called the idea of optimising that process “embarrassing,” using the phrase “Godless whores” in his remarks. The statements included a claim that attempts to shortcut the creative process lead to “nothingness.”

MusicTech reported these social media remarks and placed them within broader industry responses that include commentary from Adam Neely on the Within Reason podcast. Neely discussed the concept of de-skilling in music production and the limits of AI in replacing human taste. The article presents Antonoff’s and Neely’s remarks with a critical and cautionary tone toward AI’s role in music creation.