Fender’s CEO seems to think your bandmates are just analog AI

Cole’s philosophy is that AI in music is nothing new. “I think AI has existed in music as long as there’s been recorded music,” he says. While the biggest barrier to playing guitar is the time it takes to learn the instrument, it’s the second barrier, writing songs, where he believes AI plays a part.

“I actually believe cover music has been sort of analog AI for a long time,” says Cole. Those that don’t yet have the skills to write their own songs can play the songs written by their favourite artists instead. “I listened a lot to REM, U2, The Smiths and The Cure, and at some point I got sick of just listening to them. I wanted to play it, so I learned to play guitar.”

Those taking their first steps into writing, according to Cole, can also lean on a second analogue form of AI: their band mates. You might just have a chorus or a riff to start with but then the drummer or bassist can add to it, and a song is born. AI can also play this role. “I actually think that we are in the brink of freeing up people to move beyond the same old covers and to really get into working like they do with their bands,” says Cole.