As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries, some of the biggest names in rock music are sounding the alarm about its impact on art and artists. Jimmy Page and Brian May have joined the growing list of musicians—including Paul McCartney and Bon Jovi—who are calling attention to the dangers of AI in music. They fear that AI will not only take away artists’ livelihoods but also strip music of its soul, reducing it to an emotionless, machine-generated product.
Brian May: “The Future Is Already Forever Changed”
May has been a vocal critic of AI’s increasing presence in the music industry. He recently threw his support behind The Daily Mail’s campaign against the U.K. Labour Party’s AI copyright proposal, which would allow tech companies to use copyrighted material to train AI unless artists explicitly opt out.
May worries that the fight to stop AI from exploiting musicians may already be lost. “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 AI and social media are making into our lives,” he told the publication. “The future is already forever changed.”
Despite his pessimism, May supports efforts to raise public awareness about AI’s negative impact on artists.
“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.”
Jimmy Page: “AI Is Not Innovation, It’s Exploitation”
While May focused on the broader implications of AI, Page took a more personal approach, reflecting on his own journey from session musician to Led Zeppelin’s legendary guitarist. He described his early years in the music industry as a time of intense creativity and collaboration, a process AI simply cannot replicate.
“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 explained. “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 didn’t hold back in his criticism of AI-generated music, calling it “hollow echoes, devoid of the struggles, triumphs, and soul that define true artistry.” He also took issue with the way AI scrapes existing music to generate content, often without the artist’s permission.
“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.”
He made it clear that AI should not be given free rein to take and repurpose human-created work without fair compensation.
“If somebody had taken my work without credit or compensation, it would have been deemed theft. The same standard must apply to AI.”
Page urged for stronger protections for musicians, stating:
“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 Rock Icons Take a Stand
May and Page aren’t the only rock legends raising concerns. In a January interview with the BBC, Paul McCartney demanded government action to protect musicians from AI’s overreach.
“We’re the people, you’re the government! You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job,” McCartney 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, over 200 artists, including Pearl Jam, Bon Jovi, R.E.M., Peter Frampton, Elvis Costello, and Stevie Wonder, signed a letter from the Artist Rights Alliance. The letter condemned the use of AI in music creation, calling it an “assault on human creativity.”
The letter also warned of a bleak future if AI’s influence continues unchecked:
“AI 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.”