ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann has spoken candidly about the rise of AI-generated music and artwork, describing the technology's output as "scary" but "necessary" while warning it undermines the traditional path into music. Speaking to Portugal's Metal Global, he said the sheer quality of AI-made films, text, photos and artwork is "overwhelming," making it harder to encourage young people to pursue music given they could simply generate songs at the click of a button instead of spending years learning an instrument.

Hoffmann raised concerns about AI's commercial impact, questioning whether record labels might eventually stop signing real artists and instead produce royalty-free "fake" acts, and suggesting streaming services like Spotify could already be pushing AI-generated tracks that mimic established bands such as ACCEPT or Iron Maiden without paying royalties. He called for stronger regulation, comparing the current lag to the slow response to Napster, though he noted live concerts remain safe for now since bands still have to physically perform, barring the eventual rise of hologram shows.