Dr. Dre has defended the use of artificial intelligence in music, saying he does not view AI as a threat and confirming that he has already used the technology in his own music. The 61-year-old producer made the comments in a joint interview with record executive Jimmy Iovine published by The New York Times on Sunday.
Dr. Dre says AI is another creative tool
Dre, whose real name is Andre Young, compared the reaction to AI with the resistance that greeted earlier technologies such as drum machines and synthesisers.
“I don’t see it as a threat. I think the only people that see it as a threat are the people who have trouble creating.”
The producer said he had recently discussed AI with people who opposed its use in music, arguing that their concerns reminded him of musicians who initially rejected new studio technology.
“I had a discussion with a few people a few days ago. They were against AI, and I’m like, ‘OK, you sound like the person that would have been against the drum machine when it came out.’ Or synthesizers, right?”
Dre described artificial intelligence as another instrument that musicians can use during the creative process.
“It’s a new tool for creativity. Some people are afraid of learning new things. I’m embracing it. I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen with this.”
Dr. Dre confirms he uses AI in music
Dre also confirmed that AI is already part of his own production process.
Rather than presenting the technology as a replacement for musicians, he described using it to explore what AI can do with material he has already created.
“Yes, I’m using it. Again, as a tool to see what it would do with what I just did.”
Iovine added that Dre is not the only major producer experimenting with artificial intelligence, specifically mentioning Timbaland.
“So is Timbaland – another brilliant producer. By the way, there’s a lot of closet AI producers out there.”
The comments come as AI continues to divide the music industry. Artists, producers, labels and rights organisations are debating how the technology should be used, as well as questions surrounding copyright, consent, artist likenesses and disclosure.
Madonna recently took a sharply different position, describing AI as the “opposite of making art” in an interview with Vogue Italia.
Mick Jagger has taken a more open view. In a July interview with Billboard, the Rolling Stones singer said experimentation with AI in music was acceptable as long as the resulting work sounded original.
Dre’s comments place him firmly among artists and producers willing to experiment with the technology. His comparison with drum machines and synthesisers also reflects a broader argument within music production: that new technology can become another instrument in the creative process rather than necessarily replacing the people using it.
