Dr. Dre admits to using AI because “those who fear it are those who have difficulty creating”

The former member of NWA admits to using artificial intelligence to produce his music. In an interview with the New York Times, alongside his long-time friend Jimmy Lovine, Andre Romelle Young (known as Dr Dre) affirms that he considers this new technology as a tool at the service of creation. “I don’t see this as a threat” he admits. Considering that “the only ones who see it as a threat are those who have difficulty creating”.

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A situation comparable to the arrival of synthesizers?

For the rapper and producer, artificial intelligence should not be seen as a competitor. As an argument, the artist drew a parallel with previous technological revolutions that have transformed musical production.

 

I had a discussion with a few people a few days ago. They were opposed to AI, and I said, “Okay, you’re the kind of people who would have opposed the drum machine when it came along.” Or synthesizers, right?

Dr Dre

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According to the co-founder of the Death Row Record label, AI would be a continuation of these tools, which also aroused fears before becoming ordinary instruments of creation. “It’s a new tool for creativity”he says, while recognizing that some may have “fear of learning new things » . For his part, Dre says he is ready to welcome this progress “with open arms”, impatient “to see what will happen”. However, the producer specifies that he does not entirely “delegate” the design of his pieces: “I use it as a tool to see what it could do with what I just created”.

An essential nuance at a time when expression “AI-generated music” covers multiple practices whether for the complete creation of a title, the generation of instrumentals, the transformation of voices or simple assistance with composition. For Dre, the issue seems to lie precisely in the use that the creator makes of the tool. Jimmy Lovine, co-founder of Interscope Records and former president of the Interscope-Geffen A&M Records label, goes even further than his friend, estimating that part of the industry is already discreetly experimenting with these technologies, such as the artist Timbaland.

 

There are many producers who use AI in secret.

Jimmy Love

Dr. Dre’s optimism, however, comes up against a new reality. Artificial intelligence is no longer just entering studios, it is now pouring into platforms. On July 21, Deezer announced that in June nearly 90,000 songs generated entirely by AI were sent to its service every day.

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The streaming service has detected more than 13.4 million AI-generated tracks in 2025. The challenge now is how to distinguish human creations from AI-generated works and how to inform the public about them. Apple Music thus plans labels « Made With AI » while Spotify works on its system « AI People ». A vintage AI copyright would therefore be the solution to this unprecedented problem.

Should we ban, limit or simply report? For Dr Dre, who is above all pragmatic, it is better to learn how to use this new instrument than to pretend that it does not exist. It remains to be seen whether this philosophy can be applied to an industry where the machine now produces tens of thousands of pieces per day.