Big & Rich Take on Artificial Intelligence on Ominous New Song ‘Hello AI’: ‘This AI Thing Is Outta Control’ (Video Premiere)
“It’s called artificial intelligence for a reason. It ain’t real!” Big & Rich’s Big Kenny tells Billboard .
Country music duo Big & Rich have released a new song titled "Hello AI" that takes a critical stance on the growing use of artificial intelligence in music creation. In an interview with Billboard, Big Kenny, one half of the duo, expressed concern over the rapid development of AI, stating, "This AI thing is outta control." He emphasized that AI lacks genuine qualities and cannot own copyrights, citing an "apocalyptic" scenario where machines reproduce and plagiarize original music without attribution.
The song's video, premiering below, features the duo writing lyrics by hand and performing the piece in front of the "Edison to iPod: The Evolution of Recorded Sound" exhibit at Nashville's Musicians Hall of Fame. The video opens with an automated voice saying, "Hello. Rhythm plus frequency plus wordmaker. Record. Here is your song," before Big & Rich regain control and assert, "Flesh and blood and bone and a pencil wrote this song."
The midtempo track highlights the limitations of AI, such as its inability to breathe, hold a baby, or play a song it creates live.
Big & Rich also addresses the ethical concerns surrounding AI music generation, noting that many AI-generated songs are derived from stolen works without proper permission. French streaming service Deezer reported that fully AI-generated content represented up to 44% of its daily uploads, totaling more than 2 million songs monthly. The duo's song lists various tasks AI cannot accomplish, such as breathing, holding a baby, or playing a live composition.
While acknowledging the convenience of AI in songwriting, Big Kenny warns that the majority of new AI-generated songs are based on stolen works, infringing on the rights of original creators. The duo has previously co-written numerous top country hits, including Gretchen Wilson's "Redneck Woman" and Faith Hill's "Mississippi Girl." Big & Rich have shared teasers of "Hello AI" on social media, cautioning against AI's encroachment on artists' catalogs. Upcoming live performances are planned in Ohio and North Carolina.
Written by urgent.news from Billboard's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
