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Nile Rodgers defended his use of AI in a music video for a new version of “The Christmas Song,” after posting footage and preview images that drew online criticism. He said his team developed the concept and storyboards and directed the AI tools, and argued that critics also use AI in everyday services. The final video was expected November 20, according to the report.
Nile Rodgers defended his use of AI in a forthcoming video for a new version of “The Christmas Song” after preview images and footage prompted criticism online. The Chic bandleader said his team created the project’s mood boards and storyboards and directed the AI tools, while arguing that critics who use AI-powered services in daily life are being hypocritical.
Rodgers first posted footage of himself in a photogrammetry rig, describing it as an early stage of an art project and saying he was excited about the finished work. He said the direction was inspired by seeing the Eagles perform at the Las Vegas Sphere. The post drew criticism, including one commenter’s description of the project as “AI slop.”
Rodgers replied by asking whether the commenter objected to CGI and said they had not yet seen the finished work. Later, he shared stills from the video, which is for a new version of “The Christmas Song”, his 2020 charity collaboration with soul singer Rebecca Ferguson. The images depict Rodgers and Ferguson onstage with large, fuzzy creatures and show a title card. The source report described the visuals as appearing AI-generated; the precise methods used to create each element were not independently established in the material provided.
Responding to a separate criticism about using AI for a charitable release, Rodgers said the team created the visual plans and “painstakingly created every second” of the video. He estimated that making it as a traditional film would have cost about $100,000. The report said one of Rodgers’ posts indicated that the final video was expected on November 20.
AI Choices in a Charity Video
The dispute puts a familiar question in a specific setting: who is responsible for AI-assisted creative work when artists direct the process but use generative tools to make the final images? Rodgers presents the technology as part of a planned production, not a substitute for creative decisions. Critics quoted in the report objected to the visible results and to the use of AI in a charity-related release.
The exchange also highlights a distinction between using AI-enabled services for tasks such as search or navigation and using generative systems to produce images. Rodgers argued that critics rely on AI in their daily lives, but that point does not settle whether a particular creative use is acceptable or how much human work went into it. The finished video may give viewers more evidence to judge the project, though its release alone would not resolve broader questions about AI’s role in creative work.
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Rodgers’ Earlier AI Comments
Rodgers has previously spoken in favor of technology in music. In 2023, he compared concerns about generative AI with earlier reactions to drum machines and sequencers, saying those tools had helped bands make records. That argument focused on technology as a creative instrument; in the current exchange, he has also defended AI’s use in visual production.
The project connects AI debate to a song Rodgers recorded with Rebecca Ferguson in 2020 for charity. The source material does not identify the charitable beneficiary or provide details about how proceeds from the new version will be handled, so those points cannot be confirmed here.
“We created everything. Mood boards, story boards and did it the same way we’d do a film. The AI did what we told it to do and we painstakingly created every second you’ll see on the screen.”
— Nile Rodgers, responding to criticism on Instagram
How the Video Was Made
The source material does not detail which AI systems were used, what portions of the video were generated, or how Rodgers and Ferguson were represented in the images. Rodgers said the team directed the work, but the report does not independently verify the production process or the estimated $100,000 traditional-production cost.
It is also unclear whether the November 20 release date was confirmed by an official announcement, and the source does not specify the year attached to that date. The charity connected to the original collaboration and the arrangements for the new version are not identified in the report.
The Scheduled Video Release
The next reported milestone is the release of the finished video, which Rodgers’ post indicated was expected November 20. Viewers will be able to compare the final work with the preview images and assess how the AI tools were used, although the date and year should be treated cautiously because the source does not provide a fully specified release announcement.
Further information from Rodgers or the project team could clarify the tools, production choices, cost estimate and charity arrangements. Until then, the confirmed development is his public defense of the project and the online criticism directed at the previews.
Key Questions
What AI project is Nile Rodgers defending?
He is defending AI use in a forthcoming video for a new version of “The Christmas Song,” a song he recorded with Rebecca Ferguson in 2020 for charity.
What did Rodgers say about the production?
Rodgers said his team made mood boards and storyboards, directed the AI, and worked carefully on each second of the video. He estimated a traditional film version would have cost about $100,000; the source does not independently verify that estimate.
Why did the project draw criticism?
Some commenters criticized the use of AI and the appearance of the preview images. One also challenged the use of AI for a charity-related release. The source does not establish that these reactions represent audience opinion overall.
When will the video be released?
The report says a post indicated a November 20 release, but it does not specify the year or confirm the date through a separate official announcement.
What remains unknown about the video?
The source does not identify the AI tools, explain which images were generated, confirm the production estimate, or name the charity connected to the release.
Source: consequence.net
