Queen guitarist Brian May has publicly voiced his opposition to artificial intelligence, arguing that humanity does not actually need the technology and warning of severe consequences for the United Kingdom.
The musician raised concerns over the environmental and spatial impact of the physical infrastructure needed to build and expand artificial intelligence systems across the country.
In a post published on Instagram, May revealed that he had tested Meta AI by asking the tool to recreate the cover of Queen's 1980 album The Game. The original album artwork famously featured a simple black-and-white photograph of the band members, but May commented with an ironic tone on the synthetic quality of the image generated by the AI system.
May told his followers that he felt compelled to share the result of the experiment. He sarcastically complimented the tool on its performance before asking whether that was the kind of intelligence that would soon rule the world.
Sir Brian May, who co-founded Queen in London in 1970 alongside frontman Freddie Mercury, drummer Roger Taylor, and bassist John Deacon, holds a doctorate in astrophysics from Imperial College London. Queen became one of the highest-selling music acts in history, with The Game producing iconic hit singles including Another One Bites the Dust.
Meta AI image experiment
The guitarist clarified that his critique extended far beyond the visual quality of a single image. He emphasized that society needed to evaluate the broader trajectory of artificial intelligence development and the heavy price that citizens would ultimately be called to pay.
May noted that this might be the moment for people to realize that humanity does not in reality need artificial intelligence. Speaking on a serious note, he stated his belief that the cost of pursuing what many describe as inevitable progress is far too high.
Meta AI is a generative artificial intelligence assistant developed by Meta Platforms, the parent company of social media networks including Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp. Generative AI tools synthesize images and text based on user prompts, processing complex algorithmic requests across server clusters.
Environmental impact of data centers
May focused much of his criticism on the physical data centers required to process and store artificial intelligence data. He expressed deep concern over how these large-scale industrial facilities affect land planning and the natural environment in the United Kingdom.
The musician stressed that the construction of awful data centers must not be permitted within the country. He warned that such facilities would destroy the countryside in the United Kingdom, arguing that similar infrastructure is already destroying the natural landscape in America.
Data centers house extensive arrays of computer servers that manage digital processing workloads. The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence has created unprecedented global demand for data infrastructure, raising widespread concern over high electrical power consumption, land development, and water usage for server cooling.
Appeal to British leadership
Concluding his statements, May issued a public appeal to United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham, asking the leader to intervene before technological developments become irreversible.
Addressing Burnham directly as dear Andy, May urged him to take immediate action and halt the expansion before it becomes too late.
