Hip-hop producer and performer Dr Dre has dismissed concerns that artificial intelligence poses a threat to the music industry, arguing that it should instead be viewed as another tool for creativity.
The legendary producer and founder of Aftermath Records made the remarks during an interview with longtime business partner Jimmy Iovine published by The New York Times.
Dre said he does not consider AI a threat and suggested that those most concerned about the technology may be struggling to adapt creatively. “I think the only people that see it as a threat are the people who have trouble creating.”
The 61-year-old producer compared opposition to AI with resistance to earlier technological developments in music, including drum machines and synthesizers. “I had a discussion with a few people a few days ago,” Dre said. “They were against AI and I’m like, ‘OK, you sound like the person that would have been against the drum machine when it came out.’ Or synthesizers, right? It’s a new tool for creativity. Some people are afraid of learning new things.”
Dre said he has already incorporated AI technology into his creative process, using it to explore what the technology can do with music he has created. “I’m using it as a tool to see what it would do with what I just did,” he said.
Iovine, who co-founded Beats with Dre before the company was acquired by Apple, added that other prominent producers are also experimenting with AI. “So is Timbaland another brilliant producer. By the way, there’s a lot of closet AI producers out there.”
Beyond music production, Dre revealed that he has also used AI chatbots for personal questions. Asked about his most recent query. “How do you put on muscle and lose fat at the same time? That’s it.”
Dre’s comments come as the music industry continues to grapple with the growing use of AI and disputes over copyright, consent and the training of artificial intelligence models.
Several major music companies and industry bodies have challenged AI firms over the alleged unauthorised use of copyrighted music to train their systems.
Independent music publisher Round Hill Music, for instance, recently sued AI companies Suno and Anthropic, accusing them of using hundreds of songs without permission to train their models.
Suno has also faced legal action from major record labels, while the company has entered licensing arrangements with some music industry players.
Meanwhile, streaming platforms are moving towards greater transparency around AI-generated music. Apple Music has announced plans to begin labelling songs derived from AI platforms, while Spotify has introduced labels for artist profiles that appear to be AI-generated.
Dre’s comments come after he was named to Forbes’ 2026 billionaires list, with the publication estimating his net worth at $1 billion.
In 2014, Dre and Iovine sold Beats to Apple in a deal valued at more than $3 billion. Dre later sold a collection of music income streams and other assets to Shamrock Holdings and Universal Music Group for more than $200 million.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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