Zakk Wylde Says AI Cannot Replace Creative Minds of Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Pantera

Zakk Wylde thinks artificial intelligence in music works fine for trying new things, but it'll never match what artists like Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, and Pantera create. The Black Label Society lead singer and longtime guitarist for Osbourne shared his thoughts at a question-and-answer session on Jan. 28. The event took place at the HMV store on Oxford Street in London.

"AI is fine. It would almost kind of be like if me and you were sitting around going, 'Hey, guys, can you write a song you think BLACK SABBATH would write?' So it's no different than that," Wylde said, according to Far Out Magazine. 

The musician explained something important. Records from favorite artists contain a piece of the creators themselves. He gave several examples to show his point about human creativity in music.

"You can't replace what's coming out of Elton John's mind, what he wants to sit down and play on a piano, and what Bernie Taupin's gonna write lyrically. That's the beauty of the human element of music," Wylde added.

He used the same logic with Pantera. The band has four specific individuals whose creative processes can't be duplicated. Artificial intelligence might make songs that sound similar to Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath, Wylde stressed, but the technology can't match the original creative process. He said, "You can never replace the real thing," Wylde said.

Wylde first joined Osbourne's backing group nearly four decades ago. He has played on most of the Black Sabbath singer's solo albums. These included No More Tears in 1991, Ozzmosis in 1995, and Black Rain in 2007.

Black Label Society will release Engines of Demolition on Mar. 27 through MNRK Heavy. The album has 15 tracks. One track, "Ozzy's Song,” pays tribute to Osbourne, who passed away on Jul. 22 last year. Wylde last performed alongside Osbourne only three weeks before his death at the Back to the Beginning concert.