Gene Simmons is ready to embrace AI: “The future is here”
Gene Simmons says artificial intelligence is here to stay and that people should learn to use it, warning, “otherwise it will use you”. His comments offer a pragmatic view of a technology dividing musicians, though he did not elaborate on how he might use AI creatively.
In the interview, Simmons also backed a proposal requiring US AM and FM radio stations to pay artists and record labels when their music is broadcast, saying performers currently receive nothing. He recalled Kiss’s final Madison Square Garden shows in December 2023 and noted the band has since performed again; a documentary about its farewell tour is due on 19 November 2026. Queen guitarist Brian May has taken the opposing view, criticising the data centres powering AI.
In short
- Gene Simmons says people should learn to use AI.
- He argues radio stations should pay artists for broadcasts.
- A Kiss farewell tour documentary is due in November 2026.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
AI is likely to become part of how music is made and shared, so musicians who learn to use it may be better placed to shape the results and protect their livelihoods. Used as a tool, it could support new forms of creativity and help artists keep pace with changes in the industry.
The case against
AI’s use in music can raise concerns about whether artists’ work and likenesses are used with consent or fair payment, and whether human musicians lose opportunities or control over their craft. Its data centres also consume substantial resources, so critics may argue that adoption should be limited until its cultural and environmental costs are better addressed.
Explained simply
Gene Simmons is the bassist and co-founder of Kiss, the American rock band formed in the 1970s. Musicians have differing views on artificial intelligence: some see possible uses in music, while others raise concerns about its effects on artists and the resources needed to run it.
In the United States, AM and FM radio stations generally do not pay performers and record labels for playing recorded music, although songwriters can receive royalties. A proposal to change that has drawn support from some musicians, including Simmons; it concerns how income from radio broadcasts is shared with artists and the music industry.