As the use of artificial intelligence becomes more prevalent in the music industry and beyond, Queen guitarist and astrophysicist Brian May has a particularly relevant perspective on the phenomenon, given his extensive musical and scientific backgrounds.
In a recent interview with Guitar Player, May was asked about the implications of widespread implementation of AI overall, which he believes can both benefit and harm humanity.
“I think a lot of great stuff will come from AI, because it is going to increase the powers of humans to solve problems,” May said. “But the potential for AI to cause evil is, obviously, incredibly huge — not just in music, ’cause nobody dies in music, but people can die if AI gets involved in politics and world domination for various nations. I think the whole thing is massively scary. It’s much more far-reaching than anybody realized — well, certainly than I realized.”
Speaking more specifically about the use of AI in music — a delicate subject among artists — May said that AI has accelerated to a point where, as early as next year, it could assimilate the artistic process and become indistinguishable from the human touch.
“My major concern with it now is in the artistic area,” May said earlier in the interview. “I think by this time next year the landscape will be completely different. We won’t know which way is up. We won’t know what’s been created by AI and what’s been created by humans. Everything is going to get very blurred and very confusing, and I think we might look back on 2023 as the last year when humans really dominated the music scene. I really think it could be that serious, and that doesn’t fill me with joy. It makes me feel apprehensive, and I’m preparing to feel sad about this.”
When asked whether the impending AI takeover fuels him as an artist, May took a contemplative if uncertain tone.
“It’s like the universe is a different place now, and there are echoes of us in that place,” he said. “But where we actually stand as artists, I’m not sure. We still have something to say, but methods and media are so different now. It’s kind of a struggle for us to stay on top of that, I think.”
Get Queen + Adam Lambert Tickets Here
On a lighter note, May will be heading out with Queen + Adam Lambert for a string of North American tour dates kicking off next month on October 4th in Baltimore. The trek runs through a November 12th show in Los Angeles, and you can pick up tickets to Queen’s upcoming concerts here.