A musician and producer who has worked with Taylor Swift has offered a forthright take on generative AI’s growing role in the creative world.
Jack Antonoff, the singer-songwriter and producer known for collaborating with major pop artists — including Swift, Lorde, Pink, Sabrina Carpenter and Lana Del Rey — has weighed in on the debate as AI-made songs continue to circulate online.
With generative AI increasingly shaping (and in some cases imitating) artistic output, Antonoff used a journal-style entry shared on social media to underline exactly where he stands on people using AI to “make” art.
In the post, the 13-time Grammy winner framed learning and making music as an “ancient ritual,” arguing that attempts to “optimize” the act of creation misunderstand what gives it meaning — and what makes it special.
“You don’t have to write music, you don’t have to record it and you don’t have to bring out the band and play it,” he wrote.
“And yet for us, the idea of optimizing what we do is a complete miss of the entire point of what compels us in the first place. We (myself, the band and everyone I know, frankly) have never been looking for this work to become quicker or easier.
“We were never frustrated by the randomness and magic it takes. We do it for that exact reason – and without the process itself ::: nothingness.”
Antonoff also described music-making as something that comes “from God,” while insisting he has no intention of stepping away from the real, human process of creating.
Addressing supporters of generative AI head-on, he added: “So to everyone who is gassed up about the new ways you can fake making art, by all means drive right off that cliff.
“We’re genuinely happy to see you go. Generations coming will be engaging in the ancient ritual of writing, recording and performing as it comes to us from God.”
He continued by suggesting that, as this period unfolds, those leaning into low-effort output will expose themselves, while many serious artists may find it even harder to earn a living — yet he says he and those around him are doubling down on authenticity.
He added: “So as we embark on this strange detour where the bad actors will willingly reveal themselves through slop, and the struggling great will be further spread thin to make an honest living doing what they were put on Earth to do, we (myself, the band and frankly everyone I know) remain more dedicated than ever to reveal what comes from within.”
Antonoff went on to call music “holy,” noting that, across history and cultures, music has long held communal and spiritual weight — from sacred choral traditions to drumming practices and classical forms passed down through generations.
He ended his message by returning to the core idea that the creative process is not a problem to be streamlined, but something to be lived through.
He concluded: “Writing music, recording and performing it — that’s it. Nothing more embarrassing than considering there is a way to optimize that holy process.”