Madonna says using AI is the opposite of making art
Madonna says using the industry's algorithms and artificial intelligence is the opposite of making art, because they discourage the creative risks she believes define real artistry. In a new Vogue Italia interview, she tied follower counts and streaming metrics to a synthetic business climate. The pop icon spoke to the magazine for its July 2026 cover, contrasting today's metrics-driven record deals with the collaborative creative world she valued early in her career.
Key Takeaways
- Madonna told Vogue Italia that algorithms and AI are the opposite of taking risks—and therefore the opposite of making art.
- She contrasted today's follower-driven record deals with a past era of painters, musicians, and dancers creating together from a pure place.
- Her song Bring Your Love includes the line "Don't try to distract me with numbers," reflecting her resistance to chart and streaming obsessions.
- Madonna said she fuels imagination through stillness, breaks from technology, and time with nature, her children, and her horses.
- She has previously criticized social media, urging fans at a Confessions II premiere to put their phones down and connect.
What Did Madonna Say About AI in Vogue Italia?
Madonna recently slammed artificial intelligence in an interview with Vogue Italia for its July 2026 cover issue. She told the outlet that relying on AI is the opposite of making art.
"Once you were around painters and musicians and dancers and artists in one place and working from a very pure place for each other. I value that experience a lot," Madonna said. "Nowadays you don't do that anymore. Now to have a record deal you think about how many followers you have."
She continued, "That's why in 'Bring Your Love' I say, 'Don't try to distract me with numbers.' For me it started not thinking about the charts, the streaming numbers. Algorithms and artificial intelligence are the opposite of taking risks and to me that is the opposite of making art."
Why Does Madonna Link Streaming Numbers to AI?
Madonna framed her critique around how the modern music business rewards metrics over experimentation. In her telling, landing a record deal now means thinking about follower counts—not just the collaborative artistry she remembers from working alongside painters, musicians, dancers, and other creators in one place.
That shift, she argued, pulls focus from the charts and streaming numbers that now dominate industry conversations. Her Vogue Italia remarks connect those pressures directly to algorithms and artificial intelligence, which she sees as incompatible with the risk-taking that art requires.
For more on how artists and the industry are navigating technology, see our Streaming & TV Alerts coverage.
How Does Madonna Find Creative Inspiration Instead?
Madonna went on to say that she completely steps away from technology and social distractions when trying to spark inspiration for new music. "Lately it's been hard because of my record and so many things connected to it," she explained. "But I do like to take breaks… and disappear."
"Because that's how you fuel your imagination," Madonna added. "You have to have stillness and you have to have days where you're just connecting to nature, my children, my horses."
Has Madonna Criticized Technology Before?
This isn't the first time Madonna has taken a stance against technology. During a Q&A at the premiere of her movie, "Confessions II – The Film," she said social media has instilled a "persistent need" in people to document everything. She also encouraged fans in attendance to "put your fucking phones down and connect."
Variety noted that Madonna's Vogue Italia interview extends a pattern of pushing back against digital distraction in favor of direct human connection and creative stillness.