Full Breakdown
Rolling Stones Draw the Line on AI-Generated Music While Experimenting with Visual AI
7/17/2026, 7:54:56 PM
Position on AI-Created Songs
In a Billboard interview, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards articulated a unified view that artificial-intelligence tools may assist creators, but they must not be used to replicate the band’s sound. Both musicians stressed that AI should serve as a catalyst for original ideas rather than a shortcut to imitate established artists. Their comments come amid a broader industry debate over AI’s role in songwriting and performance.
Official Statements from Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
Jagger explained that the Stones “don’t want to be imitated by AI, vocally and instrumentally” and warned that releases sounding “exactly like The Rolling Stones” would be “obviously wrong.” He added that AI-generated music is acceptable only when the creator “has your own input and your own thoughts.” Richards echoed this sentiment, saying he “would rather hear something original” and that “music could do a lot better than just trying to copy itself.” Both framed authenticity as essential, arguing that AI should augment, not replace, human creativity.
AI Use in the “In the Stars” Video
While rejecting AI-driven musical imitation, the band has embraced the technology for visual effects. The official video for “In the Stars” blends live performances with AI-assisted facial reconstruction, creating younger-looking versions of Jagger, Richards and Ronnie Wood. Jagger described the process as “a lot of fun,” noting that “the faces of the musicians are different… they’re not fake people in a fake room; they’re all in a room, really playing together.” The AI work altered only the performers’ faces, leaving the underlying performance untouched.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Obviously, I don't want to be imitated by AI, vocally and instrumentally, and the band doesn't. I don't want people just putting stuff out there that can sound exactly like The Rolling Stones - I think that's obviously wrong,” — Mick Jagger, Rolling Stones frontman
- “If someone wants to make music by AI, go ahead. But it has to be original — you have to have your own input and your own thoughts. There are people who use AI to just make a song from scratch, in the style of The Rolling Stones. If you were any kind of creative person, you wouldn’t do that.” — Mick Jagger
- “My thoughts are: I'd rather hear something original. Music could do a lot better than just trying to copy itself. After all, it's pretty simple stuff - this is not Beethoven or Bach, and I've no doubt AI can do that, but so what? We want new input. We don't want more and more copying and synthesizing. At least that's my point of view. Music is to play around with. Surely there's enough originality without having to copy nursery rhymes,” — Keith Richards, Rolling Stones guitarist
- “We had a lot of fun with that. It’s only the faces of the musicians that are different. They’re not fake people in a fake room; they’re all in a room, really playing together. The musicians are real musicians that look a bit like The Rolling Stones in 1968. The only thing was the faces. So, they worked on mine first, and it kind of looked like me, but not really — like one of my children when they were 23 or something.” — Mick Jagger, on the “In the Stars” video
The Stones’ stance underscores a nuanced view: AI may be a valuable creative aid, but the band insists that genuine artistic expression must remain unmistakably human.
