In this interview, Amanda Petrusich talks with Nick Cave about grief, resilience, religion, music, and Faith, Hope and Carnage, a book based on his conversations with journalist Seรกn OโHagan. Sure, these are topics youโd expect in a Q&A with the Australian singer-songwriter, but that doesnโt make it any less rich or moving. I like their exchange about channeling spirituality or some kind of โenigmatic othernessโ when making music, and dealing with loss over time, which Cave says gives us a deeper understanding of being human. His thoughts on AI, ChatGPT, and art also bring music to my ears.
Art has to do with our limitations, our frailties, and our faults as human beings. Itโs the distance we can travel away from our own frailties. Thatโs what is so awesome about art: that we deeply flawed creatures can sometimes do extraordinary things. A.I. just doesnโt have any of that stuff going on. Ultimately, it has no limitations, so therefore canโt inhabit the true transcendent artistic experience. It has nothing to transcend! It feels like such a mockery of what it is to be human. A.I. may very well save the world, but it canโt save our souls. Thatโs what true art is for. Thatโs the difference. So, I donโt know, in my humble opinion ChatGPT should just fuck off and leave songwriting alone.