Country music star John Rich shared his thoughts on artificial intelligence and how it could potentially impact country music.
In an interview with Fox News Digital published June 14, Rich, 49, said he wasn’t too concerned about AI. He also didn’t hold back his critique of today’s country musicians.
“Could AI do any worse than some of the country singers that are out there right now? I’m not sure that’s even possible,” he told the outlet.
While he didn’t reveal any specific names, Rich gave credit to “great songwriters” and acknowledged that they couldn’t be replaced by the technology.
“You just can’t. I mean, you’re talking about Albert Einstein honky-tonk songwriters,” he added.
However, Rich said he would like to see AI write the 1980 song “He Stopped Loving Her Today” by musician George Jones.
John Rich doesn't think AI could be any worse than the state of country music today https://t.co/l1SGVRRKvt
— Fox News AI (@FoxNewsAI) June 14, 2023
“It ain’t gonna happen. Now, they might be able to take some redundant-sounding song and turn it into another redundant-sounding song, but that’s the state of country music as it is today anyways,” he shared.
Nonetheless, the country crooner said he doesn’t “see it as a huge threat.”
“I think if you want to make sure that your songs stick out, why don’t you write ‘em and sing ’em like nobody else can, including AI,” he stated.
Rich wasn’t the first country musician to speak out about the power of AI.
Country music singer Riley Green told Fox News Digital he doesn’t think the technology could invoke the same emotions as real musicians.
“I would struggle to think something that couldn’t feel could really write a song, to make somebody else feel,” Green said of AI in music at the ACM Awards.
However, fellow country music singer Nate Smith said he wasn’t too worried about AI replacing real songwriters.
“I mean, the world’s always going to change. Anything’s going to happen,” he said.
Smith added, “Nothing’s worth freaking out over, I think is the main thing. … Real country writers, I think, are going to be around forever.”