Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson recently shared his thoughts on the growing use of artificial intelligence in modern music creation. During a new interview with Andres Violante of the “Rock En La Trinchera” podcast, the musician weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding AI generators being used to construct melodies, harmonies, and lyrics, arguing that the technology fundamentally lacks emotional resonance.
Addressing the use of machine learning models in the studio, David Ellefson expressed his skepticism regarding the true capabilities of the software.
“To me, it’s just that — it’s artificial. And I don’t know how intelligent it really is. It’s just artificial,” he stated.
The bassist compared the current anxiety surrounding artificial intelligence to the industry’s previous transition into the digital recording era, noting a crucial difference in human involvement.
“People were worried about that with digital technology, making records and recording, and I can honestly say that every record I make, if it’s using digital processing, it’s still me and our humans performing. It’s us playing. And that’s important, that it’s not just stuff taken from somewhere else, that what you’re hearing are real human performances. ‘Cause it’s the human performance that connects with the human listener,” Ellefson explained.
He further detailed his stance by emphasizing the biological and emotional connection that organic music provides to an audience, something he feels a computer cannot replicate.
“That’s my problem with artificial intelligence, is it’s not that intelligent and it’s artificial. And that’s never gonna connect emotionally. You’ll never have an emotional connection. Humans connect with each other emotionally, ’cause we’re animals. That’s why we connect with our cats and our dogs and our birds and our pets, because we have a beating heart, we have a pulse, there’s an emotional connection. And things that are created on a computer, they don’t have emotion to them. They may be smart, but they don’t have heart. And it’s the heart that really connects,” Ellefson concluded.
David Ellefson was a founding member of Megadeth, playing with the thrash metal giants from their inception in 1983 until 2002. The group briefly disbanded during that period after frontman Dave Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage in his arm, leaving him temporarily unable to play guitar.
When Dave Mustaine reformed the band 22 years ago, he initially intended to record a solo project using studio musicians. The sessions ultimately evolved into the 2004 Megadeth comeback album, The System Has Failed. To support the release on the road, former Iced Earth bassist James MacDonough was recruited for the touring cycle.
During that same year, David Ellefson filed an $18.5 million lawsuit against Dave Mustaine, alleging unpaid merchandise and publishing royalties. The case was dismissed in January 2005. Despite the legal dispute, the two musicians eventually reconciled, and the bassist rejoined the band five years later.
David Ellefson‘s final tenure with Megadeth came to an end five years ago. He was dismissed from the lineup after explicit videos and sexually tinged messages involving the bassist were leaked online. He currently remains active with various other musical projects.
