Brian May has insisted “we actually don’t need AI” after using the tech to recreate an iconic Queen album cover.
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May took to Instagram to share a version of the artwork for the classic 1980 Queen record ‘The Game’, which he used Meta AI to create. The original cover sees all four members of Queen standing side-by-side in matching leather jackets, and is rendered unrecognisable in the AI version May shared.
May captioned the picture of the shoddy cover: “I just had to share this with you guys. I asked Meta AI to show me what the cover of THE GAME album looked like. This is what it gave me ! Good job, eh ?”
“So this is the kind of intelligence that will soon be ruling the world ??! Well, great. Maybe this is the time to realise WE ACTUALLY DON’T NEED AI !!”
May then said that he was “now very serious”, adding: “I believe the price we are about to pay for this ‘inevitable’ development is way too high. We must not allow these hideous Data Centres to be built in the UK. They will destroy our beautiful country, like they are already destroying beautiful America.”
Addressing Prime Minister Andy Burnham, May signed off his post by writing: “Dear Andy – you must stop it now. Before it’s too late.”
The contentious technology has continued to divide creatives across music and film, with everyone from Backrooms director Kane Parsons to Pope Leo XIV condemning its use.
As for Queen, the band last hit the road in North America in 2023, as part of their “ambitious” ‘Rhapsody Tour’ with Adam Lambert. The tour came to the UK and Europe in 2022, while their most recent live shows took place in Asia in early 2024.
Last month, Roger Taylor opened up about the chances of Queen touring again, telling BBC Radio 2: “Well, it is a big machine to gear up, if you know what I mean. I think it’s more down to Brian than me. I love playing live. I enjoy it, always have.”
It comes after May said earlier this year that he would refuse to tour in the US, reasoning that the country is a “dangerous place”.
Before that, he said that Queen would not headline Glastonbury Festival “because of the politics of the people who run it”. He cited founder Michael Eavis’ support of badger culling over the years. “Unless that changes, I won’t do it,” May continued.
He revealed last autumn, that Queen had worked on some new material with Lambert, and said they had considered bringing their live show to The Sphere in Las Vegas, Nevada. “ I’m very keen on the Sphere,” May explained. “It’s got my mind working.
May’s wife Anita Dobson implied in December that, despite Queen working on new music, it was unlikely that they would resume full-scale touring. “They will do little bits and bobs, but they won’t do those big tours,” she said.
May suffered a minor stroke in 2024, which he said came on “all of a sudden, out of the blue”. He explained that it left him without any control over one of his arms, and described it as “a little scary”. Last November, May said his health issues had served as a “wake-up call”.
Over the Christmas period, Queen released a never-before-heard festive song, ‘Not For Sale (Polar Bear)’. The band were also named as the UK’s most-played rock act of the 21st century back in October.
Lambert told NME earlier this year that there was “nothing going on at the moment with Queen” as the band are “all chilling” and taking some time away from writing new music.
Taylor himself is currently gearing up to release ‘Violence Insane In A Beautiful World’ – drummer’s seventh solo LP and his first since his 2021 studio effort ‘Outsider’. It is set to land on September 18 via Columbia. You can pre-order it here.
To celebrate the album, he’ll head out on his own UK tour later this year. You can find all the details here.
