GENE SIMMONS Says 'A.I. Is A Concern If Left Unregulated': 'The Government Must Get A Federal Law That Encompasses All Of A.I.'

During an appearance on an early edition of "Balance Of Power", KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke to Bloomberg TV Washington correspondent Joe Mathieu about how artificial intelligence (A.I.) is revolutionizing the music industry through the use of A.I. music generators. These tools use machine learning algorithms to analyze existing music and create new compositions based on that analysis, including producing entire tracks using A.I.-generated music. Asked if A.I. is a worry for him or not, Gene said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A.I. is a concern if left unregulated. Anything — a beautiful horse that you just bring in, if it runs wild… You've got to have some parameters that we control instead of A.I. Right now, there's a country and western star that's got a number one record of sorts on some chart. [The artist] doesn't actually exist.

"The major problem here, potentially, hypothetically and otherwise, is that if states have the right, and this has to be settled right away — the government must get a federal law that encompasses all of A.I. to get some sanity out of this," Simmons explained. "Because if you can do A.I. legally in Delaware, where you have all your companies so you pay less taxes… Why should they wanna do real music and real art in New York when they can just go to Delaware and do A.I.? No. You need a federal law that encompasses the entire country. And I would highly recommend, and I would hope the entire planet really gets together. It's an issue for the UN to get a world body to accept it, because it's gonna happen to the same — same thing that happened to the unions in America. You charge too much here, so we'll do business in China. No. You want to address the A.I. issue worldwide so we can control what the rules are, the comings and the going and what's the income stream? Who owns the I.P.? Who's the owner of the trademark?"

Gene first discussed artificial intelligence as it relates to the music business back in July 2023 during an appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored". Asked if he was "excited or worried about artificial intelligence", he responded: "Music business aside, I am concerned about the lack of legislation. When you enter a new, let's say a new planet, you're about to land on a new [planet], well, clearly there's opportunity there, there are minerals and things — all kinds of opportunities. Without rules of the game… It's like playing sports without rules. Who's gonna do what? You need some rules that are kind and beneficial to mankind, womankind, transkind, all kinds of kinds. Okay, does that cover everybody?"

He continued: "The problem with A.I. is not… A.I. is here, whether you like it or not. So let's look at it smartly and let's pass legislation. A.I. creates a song using my voice, or what sounds like my voice, with a new song, and it sounds just like me and it definitely sounds like that kind of a thing. So when you buy it, who owns the copyright and the publishing, if A.I. did that? So, is it me, because it sounds like me? You could swear it was me. So these are uncharted [territories]."

Asked if he cares if A.I. uses his voice to create a new song, Gene said: "We can make a deal."

Last year Gene told TMZ that we can't turn the clock back, noting that music and its business models are ever changing.

"A.I. is here to stay," he explained. "Technology is here to stay. And you either join in and try to adapt and try to figure out how that works with you or you're just yesterday's news in a very real way."

In early 2024, KISS sold its entire music catalog, likeness and brand name to Pophouse, a Swedish entertainment group.

While terms of the Pophouse deal were not officially announced, Bloomberg and Associated Press said it was worth upwards of $300 million.

KISS continues to be among the most merchandised bands in history and a pioneering force in the music merchandise and licensing industry, with KISS-branded merchandise available in major retailers around the globe, including Nordstrom, Macy's, Urban Outfitters, Hot Topic, Torrid, Tilly's, Pacsun, Cotton On, Revolve, Nasty Gal, Princess Polly, Target, Walmart and Kohl's, among many more.