Wolfgang Van Halen Trashes Generative A.I.: “A.I. Should Be Putting Mufflers on Cars, Not Doing Art for Us”

Being Eddie Van Halen’s son had to have exposed Wolfgang Van Halen to a litany of rock star truths. Where to go for food on the road, who to trust with your various bits of gear, and other sage bits of advice. But the younger Van Halen has some great, based takes of his own. Especially when it comes to generative A.I.

While speaking with Springfield, Missouri radio station Q102, Van Halen stayed firm to his beliefs about A.I. doing art and that it couldn’t hold a candle to actual human creativity.

“I think generative A.I. is really stupid. I just think it’s dumb. I think it’s a waste of time. I think A.I. should be putting mufflers on cars, not doing art for us. But other people feel differently. That’s how I feel. I think it’s dumb. I think it’s just — I don’t know. It’s not my thing.”

When asked why he feels record labels are seemingly embracing A.I., Van Halen had something to say about that, too.

“Yeah, it’s lame. Well, you know why? ‘Cause it allows you to pay fewer people. All the people at the top see the line go up because they’re paying fewer people to do more work with less money. It’s kind of the way — every industry is, unfortunately, like [that] at the end of the day, which sucks. It’s never really about what’s being made. It’s how quickly you can make it and shovel it out to people.”

Okay, comrade Wolfgang. We hear you with your based pro-worker takes! …But I digress. We need to hear more of this from our artists. Too many people are willing to cut artists out for the sake of cost cutting efforts or simple access to really good art without thinking of the consequences…