Queen guitarist Brian May posted on Instagram an AI-generated version of the band's classic 1980 album cover "The Game", using Meta AI to recreate the image featuring the late lead singer Freddie Mercury. May said the move was a "very serious" message to British Prime Minister Andy Burnham about the environmental impact of artificial intelligence.
The original cover featured four Queen members standing side by side wearing similar leather jackets. In the AI-generated version, the band appeared to have five members who were all blurry or unrecognisable, very different from the original image. May commented on the result with sarcastic tone, writing: "I've been forced to share this with you friends. I asked Meta AI to show me what the album cover of The Game looks like. This is what it gave me! Brilliant work, isn't it?"
May then expressed deeper concerns about the future of AI. "This type of intelligence will rule the world soon? Great. Perhaps it's time we realised that we don't actually need AI," he wrote. He went on to say that the price to be paid for AI development that is "inevitable" is very high, and called for data centres to be banned in Britain, saying the facilities would "destroy our beautiful country" as has already happened in the United States. May ended his post by telling Burnham: "Brother Andy, you need to stop this now, before it's too late."
May's comments come as the creative industry faces an existential crisis that AI may pose. The topic remains controversial, with many artists denouncing the use of AI whilst some leading directors such as Martin Scorsese and George Lucas have faced sharp criticism for supporting the technology. In July, British record producer and singer Nia Archives said AI music "won't survive," adding: "To be honest I don't know whether AI music will last; I think it's quite a passing moment in the world of technology."
