Daft Punk's Thomas Bangalter has spoken out against using AI in songwriting, calling it "a way to bypass the creative process". In an interview with Chanel's president of arts, culture and heritage, Yana Peel, the electronic music icon rejected the idea of using AI to help write his own material, as AI-generated music now makes up more than half of daily uploads on Deezer.
"AI really focuses right now on the results," he said. "It's all about the output. My creative process is absolutely not about the output."
He described AI assistance as a shortcut that stops people from experimenting and finding a unique sound. "The output is really the whole journey to maintain that process in a spontaneous and intuitive and instinctive way," he said. "It is actually the creative process that I find the most interesting… Why would I want to bypass the moment that I'm passionate about?"
Artists speak out
Bangalter joins a growing list of musicians criticizing AI. Jack Antonoff called AI music creators "godless whores", and SZA spoke out after discovering over 200 of her tracks were used to train AI software. Billy Corgan described using AI to write music as "a deal with the devil". In 2025, Damon Albarn, Kate Bush and Annie Lennox joined over 1,000 artists in releasing the silent album 'Is This What We Want?' in opposition to AI in music.
Streaming services push back
Streaming platforms are also taking action. Deezer recently reported that AI-generated material now surpasses 50 per cent of daily uploads, the first time AI has outnumbered human-made music. The service has launched a tool to detect AI music across 20 platforms. TIDAL confirmed it will not pay royalties to music made entirely by AI, and Spotify said it removed 75 million "spammy tracks" and is targeting impersonators.
Legal and political pressure
Earlier this year, the UK government dropped plans to let AI firms use copyrighted works without permission. A study found that 97 per cent of people cannot tell the difference between real and AI music. Just a few days ago, AI music generator Suno lost a copyright infringement lawsuit brought by German licensing agency GEMA. The court ruled Suno unlawfully obtained and processed music represented by GEMA, meaning it must pay damages and other AI companies must license music from GEMA's repertoire.
Why this matters for Creatives
For working creatives, Bangalter's stance is a reminder that the value of art often lies in the process, not just the output. The legal and commercial climate is changing rapidly: platforms are refusing to pay for AI-only music, and courts are starting to penalize AI firms for using copyrighted work without permission. Understanding where your work stands legally, and how platforms are treating AI content, is becoming as important as the creative work itself. Resources like AI for Creatives and the AI Learning Path for Vocal Artists & Songwriters can help you understand the tools and the rules.
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