Nigerian singer and songwriter Johnny Drille has declared that the rise of Artificial Intelligence in music is inevitable, urging artists and industry stakeholders to adapt and collaborate with the technology rather than resist it.
The Mavin Records artiste made the comments during a recent interview where he addressed growing concerns about AI-generated music potentially replacing human creativity. He acknowledged fears about losing the human element but stressed that fighting technological progress is futile.
“AI music is going to get more prominent. I think we have to figure out a way to work with AI because I don’t think it’s going anywhere. Technology never goes away, it becomes more prominent.”
He further emphasised the need to balance innovation with authenticity.
“I don’t know how we are going to figure out the human part of it or how we will retain the human element of music and keep music human, but I think we have to find ways to embrace AI as a tool to help music. It’s inevitable.”
Johnny Drille drew historical parallels to support his view, recalling how past generations resisted innovations like digital recording and auto-tune, only for them to become industry standards. He noted that similar criticisms are now being levelled against AI.
The conversation around AI in music has intensified globally, with debates focusing on creativity, originality, royalties, and the future of human artists. Johnny Drille’s stance positions him as a forward-thinking voice in the Afrobeats scene, encouraging adaptation instead of fear.