Damon Albarn is writing the score for a movie about Open AI – and now believes it “isn’t possible for AI to make soulful music”

Damon Albarn has confirmed that he’s writing the score for Artificial, Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming movie about OpenAI and the creators of ChatGPT.

In a recent interview with The Needle Drop, the Blur and Gorillaz frontman opens up about his work on the film’s score and the wider role of AI in music.

“I’ve been quite involved with AI because I’ve been making a score for a movie called Artificial at the moment, which is all about the founders of ChatGPT,” Albarn says. “So I’ve had a lot of time to think about it.”

“Music and art should not be easy. Once it becomes easy, it’s meaningless. In a way, it’s the things you don’t see or hear that make it art. You know what I mean, in a way. It’s a weird intuition that the listener has that picks up on the journey that the artist has been through to make that particular thing with the tone of the voice, etc. You can’t replace that.”

The frontman also reflects on the limitations of AI in music, which the project has made even clearer to him: “I think there was a foolish moment where the big corporations thought AI was going to make their life easier and more money,” Albarn adds. “And well, that is not the case. It’s just going to… I don’t think it’s possible for AI to make soulful music.”

Albarn first confirmed his involvement in Artificial earlier this year during an interview with Uncut. At the time, he revealed he would be “singing some songs and writing some electronic and orchestral backing” for the film.

The musician’s interest in AI isn’t new. He has previously weighed in on posthumous AI releases, including projects like the Beatles’ Now and Then, noting that, “if enough people are interested, there could be hundreds of my songs released after my death, including songs that I would never have wanted to release.”

Last month, Gorillaz released their ninth studio album The Mountain. The band will also embark on their first full North American tour in nearly four years in support of the record.