GENE SIMMONS: 'You Will Not Be Able To Hold The A.I. Wall Back. To Avoid It, You're Gonna Be Left Behind'

During an appearance on the latest episode of Lisa Guerrero Unleashed, the podcast hosted by award-winning investigative journalist, keynote speaker, actor and producer Lisa Guerrero, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was asked for his take on artificial intelligence (A.I.) in music. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The future is here. It's not just in music. There was a [Al] Pacino movie years ago, about 10 or 15 years ago, about a... I wish I could remember the title, and I'm a big movie buff. In fact, I've produced a few. It was about a manager who can't get a break, and he launches this new actress whose name is so-and-so, and it's a big hit movie, but he can't make her available for interviews because it's an A.I. … She exists only in the movies. People think she's a real person. And by the way, recently, like last month, there was a Number One country song by an artist who never existed and still doesn't. And there are huge K-pop music acts who exist only in the A.I. world, and they have millions of fans out there. And you can liaise with modern A.I., ask questions, and they respond, and so on and so forth. The line between reality and kind of the A.I. world is diminishing. And by the way, I've got a motion picture I'm developing now, called 'Icarus', which is a semi-sci-fi kind of thing. Other than the lead actor, it's all gonna be A.I."

After Guerrero expressed concern for actors being able find work, as well as for writers and artists who may no longer find it as easy to collaborate on new projects because of A.I., Gene said: "I don't know the answer to that, but you raise an important issue, which is … I'm not sure what the answer is. We're all gonna have to find out. But to avoid it, you're gonna be left behind.

"Once upon a time, there was the Oklahoma Land Rush," he continued. "Of course, it was taken from Indians who were there before. But the government decided to open up and let people — first come, first serve, you can stake your claim. Well, land is like here in Malibu. You're carving out a little niche on a hillside — 5 million, 10 million, all that stuff. They make less and less land because life isn't concerned about your plans.

"So the answer to your question is we're gonna have to figure this out, and I don't know what the answer is, but you will not be able to hold the A.I. wall back," Simmons added. "[Late actor] Val Kilmer, who I knew when he was alive — actually, after me, I think he lived with Cher. At any rate, a great guy who sadly passed away from cancer. Well, there's a new motion picture coming out. The estate has allowed Val's image to be in it. He's one of the stars of a new movie, but he's been gone a long time. This is gonna be happening more and more."

On a December 2025 edition of "Balance Of Power", Gene spoke to Bloomberg TV Washington correspondent Joe Mathieu about how artificial intelligence 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: "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."

In 2024, 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.