Responding to a Red Hand Files fan submission earlier this year, Nick Cave made the bold and true statement that AI-generated songwriting "sucks." The submission included ChatGPT lyrics generated "in the style of Nick Cave," which left something to be inspired, to say the least — but they did inspire Cave to write another of his stirring essays about this concept of using a chatbot to make art being a "grotesque mockery of what it means to be human."
In a new interview with Amanda Petrusich for The New Yorker, the singer-songwriter was given the opportunity to elaborate on the matter.
"My objection is not with AI in general," Cave clarified from the jump. "For better or for worse, we are inextricably immersed in AI. It is more a kind of sad, disappointed feeling that there are smart people out there that actually think the artistic act is so mundane that it can be replicated by a machine. I find that insulting."
He went on to say that there is no "earthly reason" to invent a technological way of mimicking the creative act, particularly songwriting. "The thing about writing a good song is that it tells you something about yourself you didn't already know," Cave said. "You can't mimic that."
As per usual, he described the nature of the creative impulse with thoughtful reverence. "The good song is always rushing forward. It annihilates, to some degree, the songs that you'd previously written, because you are moving forward all the time," the musician explained. "That's what the creative impulse is — it's both creative and destructive and is always one step ahead of you. These impulses can't be replicated by a machine."
Returning to his own work in relation to the emerging technology, Cave admitted that it's possible that AI could make a song that's indistinguishable from — or even better than — one of his.
"But, to me, that doesn't matter — that's not what art is," he said. "Art has to do with our limitations, our frailties, and our faults as human beings. It's the distance we can travel away from our own frailties. That's what is so awesome about art: that we deeply flawed creatures can sometimes do extraordinary things. AI just doesn't have any of that stuff going on."
Because it's without the limitations that make us human, Cave doesn't think AI could ever render a "true transcendent artistic experience."
"AI may very well save the world, but it can't save our souls. That's what true art is for. That's the difference," the artist concluded. "So, I don't know, in my humble opinion ChatGPT should just fuck off and leave songwriting alone."
It was recently announced that the non-AI-generated Cave will be heading out on a North American tour with Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood.
In a new interview with Amanda Petrusich for The New Yorker, the singer-songwriter was given the opportunity to elaborate on the matter.
"My objection is not with AI in general," Cave clarified from the jump. "For better or for worse, we are inextricably immersed in AI. It is more a kind of sad, disappointed feeling that there are smart people out there that actually think the artistic act is so mundane that it can be replicated by a machine. I find that insulting."
He went on to say that there is no "earthly reason" to invent a technological way of mimicking the creative act, particularly songwriting. "The thing about writing a good song is that it tells you something about yourself you didn't already know," Cave said. "You can't mimic that."
As per usual, he described the nature of the creative impulse with thoughtful reverence. "The good song is always rushing forward. It annihilates, to some degree, the songs that you'd previously written, because you are moving forward all the time," the musician explained. "That's what the creative impulse is — it's both creative and destructive and is always one step ahead of you. These impulses can't be replicated by a machine."
Returning to his own work in relation to the emerging technology, Cave admitted that it's possible that AI could make a song that's indistinguishable from — or even better than — one of his.
"But, to me, that doesn't matter — that's not what art is," he said. "Art has to do with our limitations, our frailties, and our faults as human beings. It's the distance we can travel away from our own frailties. That's what is so awesome about art: that we deeply flawed creatures can sometimes do extraordinary things. AI just doesn't have any of that stuff going on."
Because it's without the limitations that make us human, Cave doesn't think AI could ever render a "true transcendent artistic experience."
"AI may very well save the world, but it can't save our souls. That's what true art is for. That's the difference," the artist concluded. "So, I don't know, in my humble opinion ChatGPT should just fuck off and leave songwriting alone."
It was recently announced that the non-AI-generated Cave will be heading out on a North American tour with Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood.
