TESTAMENT's CHUCK BILLY On Using A.I. In Art: 'In The Creative Part Of Evolution Of It, I Ain't Into It'
March 3, 2026
In a recent interview with Doc Rock's Metal Shop 101, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy discussed the debate surrounding the use of artificial intelligence (A.I.) in music creation. Chuck shared his thoughts on A.I. music generators, stating that while they can be a creative tool, he is not a fan of the idea of using A.I. to produce and release music.
He explained, "Well, it's not really a creative... I guess it could be a creative tool, to help you write and work. You should use it to produce and then release something like that. But A.I. is everywhere these days. I mean, I've been in driverless taxis, robots delivering food, and even a music distributor's warehouse that's fully automated. It's here, and it's taken jobs. But I'm not into the creative aspect of it."
Chuck further elaborated, "Maybe if you're a young kid, you're trying to make a t-shirt, yeah, go ahead, make some A.I. But if you're gonna put it on your album and sell it to the public, I ain't down for that. Or try to make a song and sell it that way... It's like anything — you find a new tool to help your way get through something [and you] use it. So being an artist that's an artist, that's not being an artist, to me, really."
This isn't the first time Chuck has expressed his views on A.I. He previously discussed it in an interview with WOUB, stating, "A.I. is a big part of everybody’s life. I've experienced driverless taxis and robots in restaurants. The scary part, I thought, lyric-wise, is that this A.I. technology is about gathering as much information as you can. So what happens when it gathers so much information that it can almost decide for itself? Or have enough to retain it, where they think they know the answer?"
TESTAMENT recently announced the U.S. leg of its 'Thrash Of The Titans' world tour, joining forces with OVERKILL and DESTRUCTION. Their latest album, 'Para Bellum', released in October 2025, showcases their continued musical evolution, with Juan Urteaga on recording and Jens Bogren on mixing. The album's cover art, painted by Eliran Kantor, adds to the overall aesthetic.
When 'Para Bellum' was first announced, it was accompanied by the official music video for the LP's first single, 'Infanticide A.I.', directed by Joey Durango.
