Kelly Jones criticises use of AI in songwriting

Kelly Jones said he believes "art should come from people"

Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones has criticised the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to help create music.

The 49-year-old lead singer said "art should come from people" amid increased use of AI in the music industry.

Jones spoke to Times Radio at Latitude Festival after he played with his new band Far From Saints on Sunday.

He also questioned the move towards multiple songwriters on a single song.

The Welshman said he had not realised until attending the Ivor Novello Awards that AI technology was being increasingly used to "finish off people's songwriting".

"I'm not against forward-thinking technology and how things are progressing, but I think art should come from people, I mean the basics of it anyway," he said.

"I think art has always been somebody's expression, a real person's expression from a heart, from a head.

"If you're going to start an idea, then a computer finishes it, I mean, it's OK, but it's just about algorithms and things like that."

Jones added: "I'm [also] not really into 10 songwriters on a song.

"It's like if you're making a painting, you've got 10 painters chucking paint on a canvas. I mean, whose painting is it anymore?"

Kelly Jones has been performing with new band Far From Saints, alongside Patty Lynn of The Wind And The Wave

Far From Saints have been touring festivals after releasing Let's Turn This Back Around earlier this year.

But Jones, who set up his new band with Patty Lynn of The Wind And The Wave, said since Brexit and the pandemic it had become harder to make money from taking music on the road.

He said: "It's kind of a nightmare with... Brexit and all that sort of stuff.

"It's not easy to make a living of it if you're a brand new kid coming out onto the street, 'just let's get in a van and go make music' - it's kind of hard."

Dolly Parton also unsure about AI

There has been a mixed response to AI in the music business.

Black Eyed Peas member Will.i.am has previously taken an optimistic view on the new music software, but country star Dolly Parton has voiced concerns.

Last month, Parton told a press event: "I think I've left a great body of work behind.

"I have to decide how much of that high-tech stuff I want to be involved in because I don't want to leave my soul here on this Earth."