Kelly Clarkson is not interested in pretending artificial intelligence is going away. She says she loves the technology, already uses ChatGPT in her own life and is curious about what people will create with AI in music.
There is one place, however, where she wants a clearer dividing line. During the September 30 episode of Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers’ Las Culturistas podcast, Clarkson said she does not think AI artists should compete directly against human musicians on the same charts.
“Controversial, I don’t care. Here’s the thing, I love AI,” Clarkson said during the podcast’s “I Don’t Think So Honey” segment, according to Just Jared. She said she was excited by what people could create musically with the technology but added, “When you see AI artists competing on a chart with humans, I have an issue.”
Clarkson proposed separate charts, saying there could be an audience for both forms of music without requiring synthetic artists and human performers to compete under the same category.
Clarkson Said AI Artists Should Have Their Own Chart
Clarkson’s argument came near the end of the roughly 95-minute episode, when guests are given a minute to deliver a strong opinion. She used hers to draw a distinction between being interested in AI as a creative tool and treating a synthetic performer as equivalent to a human recording artist for chart purposes.
“I think it’s welcome to the table,” Clarkson said. “I think it’s really cool and creative what we’re going to create with AI, musically.” She described the technology as a “fun field to play in,” while maintaining that she did not want AI acts directly competing with human musicians. Stereogum reported that Clarkson specifically framed her proposal around separate charts for humans and AI artists.
She Had Already Called ChatGPT Her ‘Lover’ Earlier in the Episode
Clarkson’s enthusiasm for AI was evident long before the music discussion. Earlier in the same conversation, she jokingly called ChatGPT her “lover” while describing how she had been using it to help visualize plans for home renovations.
BuzzFeed reported that Clarkson called the technology a “designer’s dream” and said she was “obsessed” with using it for digital renderings.
When Yang and Rogers later raised concerns about synthetic entertainment, Clarkson maintained that AI was “not going anywhere.” Her position was that people should preserve a recognizable distinction between human work and synthetic creation instead of treating the technology itself as something that could simply be removed from culture.
Her Enthusiasm for AI Prompted Immediate Criticism
BuzzFeed documented criticism in the podcast’s YouTube comments and on social media from listeners who objected to her enthusiasm for generative AI before the conversation even reached music charts.
Some critics focused on environmental concerns surrounding AI infrastructure, while others objected to the use of generative systems in creative industries and the possibility that artists could lose work as synthetic content becomes more sophisticated.
One criticism also centered on where Clarkson chose to draw her boundary. Some commenters argued that welcoming AI in other creative contexts while objecting once synthetic performers compete directly with musicians leaves unresolved questions about artists in fields already facing similar pressure from generative technology.
The Music Industry Is Already Drawing Its Own Line Around AI
In July, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry introduced global principles governing when recordings developed with generative AI can qualify for official charts.
Rather than automatically separating every recording touched by AI, IFPI’s framework distinguishes between human-led use of the technology and substantially synthetic material. To qualify under the new principles, a recording must use authorized and lawful AI services, remain substantially human-made and avoid manipulation concerns, among other requirements.
IFPI also supports labels distinguishing “AI-Generated” from “AI-Assisted” recordings so listeners can better understand how the technology was used. The organization has begun applying the principles across charts it manages in multiple markets and is working with national groups to expand them further.