Uh oh, the internet is mad at Kelly Clarkson. What exactly did America’s Sweetheart do to spark the ire of people online? Well, the singer has come under fire for comments she made in support of AI music.
During a recent appearance on Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang’s Las Culturistas podcast, Clarkson called ChatGPT her “lover” and explained how the platform helped her plot interior design plans at her Santa Barbara home. Later, during the podcast’s “I Don’t Think So, Honey” hot-take segment, the singer doubled down: “I love AI. There are very amazing things with AI that I am obsessed with,” she said. Clarkson went into more detail about her thoughts on the technology: “I’m very into it artistically, too. I have fun with it just like everybody else does. But when you see AI artists competing on a chart with humans, I have an issue. I think there should be a separate chart.”
Clarkson added, “People that maybe can’t do certain things will be able to do it now … it’s a fun field like to play but I don’t think that they should be competing with humans.”
Following those comments, the anti-clanker internet is up in arms over what they thought was an uncharacteristically bad take from Clarkson. “Very rare Kelly L and it’s an insane one, wrote one user on X. “”I love ai’ girly thats enough you’re disappointing and the planet is dying because of people like you,” wrote another.
One X user surmised that Clarkson was part of a bigger plot by celebrities to get behind the technology. “I’m 100% convinced they’re paying these celebrities to normalize ai usage. cause who is actively listening to ai music im sorry?,” the user wrote.
The comments under the podcast episode also admonished Clarkson for her comments. “She worried about her kids futures on social media but she drying up the rivers with chatgpt,” wrote one person. “Put this on to listen to on my drive home from work, got to the chat gpt part and turned it off and drove home in silence lmao,” said another.
Other commenters were torn over their love for their singer: “Kelly please mama we CANNOT lose you to AI psychosis I need you to delete that app immediately,” urged one commenter, while another wrote, “So deeply sad to see AI promoted when the cost to the planet and communities with data centers is so terrible. I love Kelly. I hope she gets more educated about the costs of AI.”
Some critics even warned that Clarkson had lost her status as a beloved musician with the comments: “Her undoing years of being America’s sweetheart with this statement…. What are we doing sister,” they wrote on X.
Most critics focused on the harmful nature behind artificial intelligence and how it’s threatening the arts. “Dont understand how people don’t realize there is nothing ‘creative’ about an AI making anything artistic, like it fully learns through REAL artists it’s never going to create anything new!!! kelly please come back to us i love ur work,” one X user wrote. One YouTube commenter focused on Clarkson’s comments about using AI for graphic design. “Kelly please hit me up for digital renderings that do not have the insanely negative environmental impact,” they said.
While Clarkson faced backlash online, she’s not the only musician who has supported the use of AI music. Artists like Diplo, Timbaland, Lauv, and even Paul McCartney have used the technology to create new music.
In a recent interview, published just three weeks ago, Clarkson seemed more critical about AI music than she was on Las Culturistas. “AI is very helpful in other areas of life, but when it comes to art, I don’t know, man AI doesn’t have a soul,” she said, adding, “You need like the soulfulness of someone. That thing is missing. Nothing beats a real human.”
