Critical Role co-founder emphasizes that creating art should be a challenging journey.

A growing number of creatives in the entertainment sector are embracing Artificial Intelligence, raising questions about whether AI will soon overshadow an industry that has long celebrated human ingenuity. However, some creators are standing firm against this trend, including the founders of Critical Role.

In a recent chat, Critical Role co-founder Sam Riegel and music producer Peter Habib discussed the role of AI in creative fields. They also shared their thoughts on whether AI would ever play a part in the songwriting for Critical Role’s animated series, The Legend of Vox Machina and The Mighty Nein.

“AI was not involved in this production,” Habib stated, referring to the memorable song “Who Will You Be?” from the second episode of The Mighty Nein. “From my perspective, it’s becoming a tool that music producers use to brainstorm ideas. I know colleagues who leverage it as a starting point when they’re feeling stuck. It’s fascinating to see what emerges. It’s almost like having a third writer in the room.”

Habib acknowledged the potential benefits of AI but expressed concern over the rapid pace of its development and its effects on the music industry, noting that AI-generated tracks are being uploaded to streaming platforms daily.

For fans worried that AI might infiltrate future Critical Role projects, there’s no need for concern.

“Our stance is that it’s essentially worthless,” Riegel asserted. “Some artists, like Peter mentioned, find it useful. But we don’t fall into that category.” He humorously pointed out that AI was initially envisioned as a tool to enhance human life, allowing us more time to enjoy and create. “Now, it seems the new pitch from AI companies is, ‘AI can do that too. It can create poetry and music.’ But that’s what defines us as humans—why would we relinquish that?”

Similar to Habib, Riegel recognizes the advantages of AI in coding and software development, but he believes that when it starts to replace creative endeavors like writing and art, it loses its significance.

“Art should not be easy; that’s what gives it value. No AI was involved in any of this, and we have no plans to use AI in the future.”