There’s a lot of talk about AI in the music industry right now… and Shooter Jennings thinks he’s found the perfect way to combat the rise of artificial intelligence. The famed producer and son of Waylon Jennings is one of the most respected individuals in the music industry. In just the past couple of years, he’s helped produce projects for Lukas Nelson, Charley Crockett, Jake Owen, Benjamin Tod and the Turnpike Troubadours. And you may have heard that he produced an album called Songbird, which was made up of never-before-heard songs from Waylon that were recorded in his prime and never released. Through his many years as a producer – and recording himself – Shooter has become more than familiar with the art of producing. Jennings has become a master at the craft, and many of the best acts in country music recognize the talent he possesses. Some might think that good production means recordings that sound flawless. Shooter Jennings knows that the greatest production is actually creating songs that sound human. That’s why Jennings has become so upset by the rise of artificial intelligence over the past couple of years. The new technology is infiltrating everything, including the world of the music. You probably remember the uproar that was caused by an AI-generated song topping the Billboard Country Digital Songs Sales chart late last year. Whiskey Riff reported that a track titled “Walk My Walk,” by an artist called Breaking Rust, had seemingly fooled the masses. It was a complete AI creation all around – from the artist, to the music video, to the song itself. AI disrupting music isn’t something that’s going to happen in the future… it’s happening right now. Because of that, artists and producers have turned into the voice of AI resistance. There are many country music artists that have come out and condemned any use of artificial intelligence, and that’s good… but speaking out against something doesn’t always solve the problem. So what’s that “perfect way to keep AI at bay” that I alluded to earlier in the story? Ironically enough, it’s imperfection. I can’t take credit for coming up with that idea. In this situation, I’m just the messenger. Shooter Jennings is the one who thinks highlighting and seeking out imperfections might be the way forward for the music industry, as he explained in this post that he sent out earlier today: “I find myself leaning more towards imperfections in recordings now because of the existence of AI. Mistakes, finger-fouls and wild vocal takes just feel so much more valuable now. Before, somehow everyone was seeking sonic conformity, and now it seems like we’re seeking things that sound human.” I find myself leaning more towards imperfections in recordings now because of the existence of AI. Mistakes, finger-fowls and wild vocal takes just feel so much more valuable now. Before, somehow everyone was seeking sonic conformity, and now it seems like we’re seeking things… — Shooter Jennings (@shooterjennings) March 16, 2026 Isn’t that the truth? Artificial intelligence is slowly but surely training itself to be perfect. That’s valuable in some areas, but not in art. More often than not, perfection in the world of art and music comes from the presence of imperfection. Shooter Jennings thinks that the way artists and producers should be thinking… if only so that human-made and AI-generated music can be differentiated. And this isn’t the first time that Jennings has shared his thoughts about AI. When he discussed the Songbird project on The Drifting Cowboy podcast, Shooter shared that he actually went out of his way to avoid using AI: “AI is so ridiculous, like I hate it. People ask me all the time, or make comments about how… ‘Oh, the new Waylon comes out right when AI happens.’ You know? I’m like, ‘Dude, if y’all knew like I’m a computer nerd, but I have no idea how to do that.’ Like, make an AI Waylon track? It just makes no sense.” At one point during that interview, Jennings did admit that he tried to use AI for some aspects– if only to see how it would do – and he was tremendously underwhelmed by its abilities. Joseph Hudak (the host) quipped that Jennings must have actually been using Skynet, the fictional AI network from the Terminator franchise, to get help with identifying songs. Shooter shot back with this: “Well, Skynet was mentally impaired. I have no faith in it, honestly, it’s all bullsh**.” I’d say most people share that same viewpoint. The post Shooter Jennings Has One Interesting Way For Artists & Producers To Combat AI first appeared on Whiskey Riff.