Empire Of The Sun’s Luke Steele Defends AI in Music Production

Luke Steele, frontman of the Australian synth-pop duo Empire Of The Sun, confirmed he uses artificial intelligence to create music during an interview with iHeartRadio Canada at the Osheaga festival in Montreal on August 1, 2026. Steele described the technology as a tool for musicians, comparing it to a smart guitar pedal, and stated that AI will empower artists who understand how to utilize it.

Luke Steele on AI as a Creative Tool

Speaking at the Osheaga festival, Steele responded of course when asked if he incorporates AI into his work. He acknowledged the tension between AI and human creativity, describing the current era as a battle between humans and AI that he finds exciting. According to NME, Steele warned that artists who resist the technology should be cautious, as AI could eventually swallow you like a boogie monster at night.

Steele’s stance contrasts with other high-profile musicians. NME noted that artists including SZA, Lorde, and Mac DeMarco have expressed aversion to the tech. Jack Antonoff previously referred to AI music creators as godless whores.

Industry Conflict and Platform Restrictions

The use of AI in songwriting has led to direct conflicts with distribution platforms. Boy George recently admitted to using AI to assist in writing the lyrics for his pro-Israel reggae song We Will Dance Again. Bandcamp subsequently removed the track, citing a violation of its Acceptable Use & Moderation Policy, which prohibits audio that is wholly or substantially generated by AI, according to NME.

Boy George stated earlier in 2026 that ChatGPT helped him as a lyricist, though he noted that he often had to tell the AI that certain lyrics were crap and not what he would say before training the tool to better suit his style.

Streaming services are implementing different strategies to handle AI-generated content:

• Apple Music: Shared plans to notify users when they are listening to AI-made music, following a study indicating 97 percent of people cannot distinguish between real and AI music.
• Deezer: Reported last month that AI-generated music now accounts for more than 50 percent of the platform’s daily uploads.
• TIDAL: Confirmed it will not pay royalties for music created entirely by artificial intelligence.
• Spotify: Reported last autumn that it removed 75 million spam tracks and targeted impersonators uploading AI material to the profiles of deceased musicians.

Legal Protections and Artist Consent

The rise of generative AI has prompted a global effort from music industry bodies to protect intellectual property. A group of artists and songwriters recently issued an open letter demanding that consent be required before any AI deals are made. This effort follows a campaign led by Paul McCartney, Elton John, Dua Lipa, and Kate Bush to urge government protection of musicians’ work.

In response to these concerns, the government announced in March 2026 that it would cancel plans that would have allowed AI companies to use copyrighted works without permission, describing the previous plans as deeply damaging, according to NME.

Empire Of The Sun Recent Activity

Empire Of The Sun’s appearance at Osheaga on August 1 followed a performance at Lollapalooza 2026 on July 30. The duo also performed at London’s Alexandra Palace in June as part of a tour across the UK and Europe.

The group released their fourth studio album, Ask That God, in 2024, which includes the singles Music On The Radio and Changes.