‘Can you imagine going on strike about AI?’ @vicderbyshire asks Irish singer-songwriter Hozier
‘If there was action on that, absolutely’
Tonight @ 10:30pm Hozier speaks to Newsnight ahead of the launch of his new album Unreal Unearthhttps://t.co/P0zxS1DNGF pic.twitter.com/Ej5XLgn0Ku
— BBC Newsnight (@BBCNewsnight) August 17, 2023
Hozier shared that he would be willing to join similar action to the US actors and writers’ strikes, who are fighting for better contracts and protection against the use of AI in the industry.
The Hollywood actors union joined the WGA in taking strike action on July 13, after negotiations broke down with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP), who represent major studios like Netflix, Disney, Apple, Amazon, Warner Bros. and others.
Both unions are seeking better pay, streaming residuals and safeguards against the use of AI technology amid the rise of streaming services.
Other musicians have also shared their opinions of the use of AI within the music industry. Nick Cave previously said AI should “fuck off and leave songwriting alone”. He made headlines back in January after sharing his less-than-enthusiastic views on using AI platforms to write songs – stating that the process is a “grotesque mockery of what it means to be human”.
Back in June, Noel Gallagher responded to the AI-generated “lost” Oasis album that was released earlier this year.Speaking to NME as part of the ongoing In Conversation series, Gallagher shared: “These fucking idiots have clearly got too much time on their hands and too much money that they can afford the technology to fucking piss around doing that for a laugh.”
He then revealed that he was “saving up for the technology myself.” He continued: “Then I’m just gonna dial it in to some computer and fucking churn it out when I’m 73. I’ll have 140 albums to go after I’m fucking dead to keep my kids in choc ices and fucking weed.”
Hozier recently released his third studio album, ‘Unreal Unearth’. In a four-star review of the LP, NME shared: ‘Unreal Unearth’ is a product of going where the song takes you: whether that’s the synth-filled landscape of ‘De Selby (Part 2)’ the different parts of the world mentioned on ‘Butchered Tongue,’ or even to hell. As for what comes next, it’s clear that no matter where he goes, Hozier makes the journey worthwhile.
