Three-time Grammy nominees and four-time #1 rock outfit Nothing More released their newest video Existential Dread on August 18, and it immediately stirred debate across the rock community. Even before its official premiere, the project was already controversial due to its creative use of artificial intelligence.
The video was directed and edited by Jurassic Smoothie, who used AI tools as a starting point for imagery that was then refined, reworked, and edited into the final version. However, after a teaser trailer dropped on August 15, online discussions quickly escalated over the role of AI in music and visual art.
Frontman Jonny Hawkins addressed the backlash in an interview with RockFeed and through the band’s Instagram account. “AI didn’t make a video for us. We hired an artist, I plotted out a vision, theme and visuals. Then that artist used AI to generate initial images that he edited together through multiple versions with notes until it became a visual experience. There is a huge difference between letting a machine create something and using a machine to create something,” he explained. Hawkins further noted: “Nine Inch Nails is a perfect example of a prolific artist who used machines to sculpt their sound. It’s all about how you use the tool that determines art, not which tools you are using.”
The release follows Nothing More’s latest chart success, as their song Freefall featuring Chris Daughtry recently reached #1 on both Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay and Mediabase’s Active Rock charts. A new version of the track dropped in March alongside an emotional video telling the story of a firefighter battling mental health issues who finds new direction after bonding with a stray dog.
With Existential Dread, Nothing More once again proves themselves as boundary-pushers, daring to merge human creativity and emerging technology in ways that both challenge and captivate audiences worldwide.
