Mick Jagger, the iconic frontman of the Rolling Stones, has shared his perspective on the rise of artificial intelligence in the music industry. While not entirely opposed to the technology, he expresses significant concerns regarding AI's ability to mimic established artists and replicate their signature sound.
The Red Line of Imitation
In an interview with Billboard, Jagger made it clear that using AI to reproduce the specific sound of bands is problematic. "You don't really want to be mimicked by AI, obviously," he stated. "I don't want people putting out things that sound exactly like the Rolling Stones. I think that's obviously wrong."
However, he does not dismiss the technology as a creative tool. Jagger views AI as the next step in the evolution of music production—one of many shifts he has witnessed throughout his six-decade career. He noted that while AI can accelerate time-consuming or repetitive processes, the core of creation must remain human. "You've got to write the songs, you've got to play them, and you've got to play them live," he emphasized.
Experimentation and Boundaries
The Rolling Stones have already experimented with AI, albeit in a controlled manner. In a recent music video, the technology was used to replace the faces of performers with younger versions of the band members, while the musicians and the set remained real.
Jagger concludes that a truly creative person would not use AI simply to copy the style of an established artist. His comments join a broader industry debate, as the music industry begins labeling AI-generated tracks and platforms like Tidal move to block songs created entirely by artificial intelligence.
