Timbaland responds to โKehlani‘s Concerns About AI in Music,โข Framing Future as “extinction or Evolution“
Los Angeles, CA – November 27, โ2025 – Music producer Timbalandโ has responded to singer Kehlani’s recent critique of artificialโ intelligence’s growing role in the music โฃindustry, presentingโข a stark choice for artists:โฃ adapt to the technology or risk becoming โobsolete.The exchange unfolded โคpublicly on Instagram following Kehlani’s interview wiht real 92.3, where she voiced frustration with being forcedโ to “compete with a computer.”
Kehlani’s concerns extended beyond artists, encompassingโ the broader โecosystem of musicโ production. “What โคabout the mixing engineers? about the producers? What โขabout the instrumentalists? What about the people that you callโฃ to make the โcover art?” โขshe asked during the interview, highlighting the potential displacementโฃ ofโ skilled professionals.
Timbaland’s โresponse, shared โขvia a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, featured a Matrix-inspired image attributed to the “World Economic Quorum.” The post read, “You can either evolve or โขbecome extinct.”
The producer’s message wasn’t a directโ attack โon Kehlani, but rather a philosophicalโฃ statement advocating for embracing technological advancements. Heโ positionedโ AI not as a threat,but as a tool musicians will need โคto integrateโ into their creative processes.
The exchange highlights a growing divide โwithin the R&B and hip-hop communities. Kehlani represents aโ viewpoint prioritizing traditional โcraftsmanship, human emotion, and the value of skilled labor. Timbaland, who has actively experimented with โคAI tools, champions the potential for AI to enhance creativity.
The debateโค reflects a wider โขindustry conversation aboutโ the future of music creation, with artists and professionals grappling with the implications of AI on artistic integrity, economic chance, and โฃthe very definition of musical artistry. kehlani’s warnings center on the potential loss ofโ nuance and livelihood, while Timbaland emphasizes the risks of resisting innovation.
