Nick Cave Re-evaluates AI’s Artistic Role After “Soulful” Elvis Video
Musician’s stance on artificial intelligence evolves following collaborator’s surprise project.
Musician **Nick Cave** has publicly softened his stance on artificial intelligence as an artistic tool, admitting his views were changed by a surprising music video created by his friend **Andrew Dominik**.
A Dramatic Shift in Perspective
Previously, **Cave** had been a vocal critic of AI-generated art, particularly lyrics. In early 2023, he described AI-generated lyrics as an “omen of the apocalypse” and a “grotesque mockery of what it is to be human.” He further elaborated that using AI in songwriting meant “participating in [the] erosion of the world’s soul and the spirit of humanity itself.”
The “Tupelo” Project Unveiled
However, **Dominik**, known for directing films like *Blonde* and *The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford*, created a music video for **Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds**’ 1982 track “Tupelo” without **Cave**’s prior knowledge. The video featured an AI-animated depiction of **Elvis Presley**.
Upon viewing the finished product on the song’s 40th anniversary, **Cave** was reportedly impressed. He described the AI-generated **Elvis** as having an “uncanny quality, as if he had been raised from the dead.” The visual elements, particularly “crucifixion-resurrection images,” were deemed “both shocking and deeply affecting.”
Roughly once a week, Nick Cave blogs about music, religion, grief, and the infernal state of world affairs through the medium of fan correspondence in his Red Hand Files newsletter. His meatier responses become news stories, and few have traveled so far, or with such fervor, as his 2023 diatribes eviscerating ChatGPT. First, that January, he portrayed a lyric “in the style of Nick Cave” as an omen of the apocalypse and “a grotesque mockery of what it is to be human.” A few months later, Cave elaborated that any lyricists using artificial intelligence were “participating in [the] erosion of the world’s soul and the spirit of humanity itself.” pic.twitter.com/IeA2EwV4Qp
— Pitchfork (@pitchfork) January 17, 2024
Both **Nick Cave** and his wife, **Susie Cave**, were “blown away” by the video. **Cave** revealed that **Dominik**’s perspective — It’s a tool, like any other
— led him to reconsider his own views.
Embracing Flexibility and Resilience
This experience prompted **Cave** to reflect on the nature of conviction and change. He stated, I believe that the ability to change one’s mind is the very definition of strength.
He emphasized the importance of pursuing truth with an open mind, writing, We pursue the truth wherever it may lead, remaining flexible and humble enough to adjust our views as new evidence emerges, regardless of how uncomfortable that may feel. It is ultimately a form of resilience, not a sign of weakness. Rigidity breaks; flexibility endures.
The evolution of **Cave**’s perspective mirrors broader discussions about AI in creative fields. For instance, the music industry saw a significant increase in AI-generated tracks on streaming platforms in 2023, with some estimates suggesting millions of AI-produced songs were uploaded in the first half of the year alone, raising questions about copyright and authenticity (Billboard, 2023).
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Q_8x1yBvj-0%22+loading%3D%22lazy%22+title%3D%22Nick+Cave+%26+The+Bad+Seeds+-+Tupelo+%28Official+Video%29
