“Weird Al” Yankovic has revealed he recently walked away from a lucrative advertising deal after discovering it was promoting artificial intelligence, saying he couldn’t support a campaign centred around AI technology.
Speaking ahead of a stop on his Bigger & Weirder Tour, parody icon Weird Al Yankovic explained that he had initially agreed to appear in a commercial for what he believed was business productivity software.
However, as filming approached, he learned the campaign was focused on AI, prompting him to withdraw despite the financial incentive (per Digital Music News):
“I’m not going to mention any names, but they told me it was for a business. It was business software that would increase productivity,” said Yankovic.
“I said, ‘Oh well, yeah, sure, I could do that.’ And then a week before we’re supposed to shoot it, I find out this is AI. And I thought, ‘Oh no, I can’t be the poster boy for AI, forget it.’ So I felt bad about kind of pulling out at the last minute. But yeah, I’m not down with that.”
Weird Al Yankovic ‘White & Nerdy’ video
Yankovic admitted he’s well aware of the countless “Weird AI” jokes that have circulated online since artificial intelligence became part of everyday conversation. Despite the internet having fun with the similarity in names, the musician made it clear that he doesn’t share the enthusiasm surrounding the technology.
“I’m not a fan of AI.”
While the AI debate continues across the entertainment industry, Yankovic has been keeping busy elsewhere, alongside his current Bigger & Weirder Tour, the legendary performer is developing a new Broadway production titled Dare to Be Stupid: The Weird Al Musical.
The stage production will feature an original story built around Yankovic’s extensive catalogue of songs and is being developed alongside Tony Award-winning director Alex Timbers, with Beetlejuice: The Musical writers Scott Brown and Anthony King also attached to the project.
“I was surprised they wanted to even announce it at this point because, you know, things on Broadway move very, very slowly, and I don’t know when it’s going to hit the stage, but certainly not anytime in the near future,” Yankovic explained.
“I can’t even tell you about all the other people that are involved, but unfortunately, I can’t even go into any more detail about it because it’s really just starting out.”
MORE IN News
