Brian May Is Apprehensive About the Rise of AI in Songwriting

Brian May has some reservations about the rise of AI in songwriting.

"I think by this time next year the landscape will be completely different," the Queen guitarist recently told Guitar Player. "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."

The Last Years of Human-Controlled Music?

As May sees it, these could be the last few years in which humans control music creation.

"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," he noted. "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."

May is not the only artist to raise such concerns. Earlier this year, Sting also spoke on the subject. "Maybe for electronic dance music, it works," he admitted. "But for songs expressing emotions, I don't think I will be moved by it."

READ MORE: Why Queen Was Never Happy With Their Debut Album

May conceded that AI has some benefits when it comes to scientific and technological advancements, but in music, he said, there's potential to "cause evil."

"I think the whole thing is massively scary," he said. "It's much more far-reaching than anybody realized — well, certainly [more] than I realized."