Nick Cave Marks 40 Years of ‘Tupelo’ with AI Video, Despite Longstanding Criticism of the Tech

Nick Cave has made no secret of his contempt for AI in the past.

I mean, he has called it “unbelievably disturbing”, described its output as “bullshit”, and labelled attempts to replicate his voice through it a “grotesque mockery of what it is to be human”. So it comes as a surprise that Cave has now marked the 40th anniversary of The Bad Seeds’ track ‘Tupelo’ with a new video that makes use of AI animation. It actually felt a bit hypocritical quite frankly when I heard about it.

The video, created by longtime collaborator Andrew Dominik, uses artificial intelligence to animate archival stills of Elvis Presley, the subject of the 1985 song. Cave says the film was made without his knowledge and admits his initial response was sceptical. That changed when Dominik pushed back, reportedly telling Cave to “suspend your fucking prejudices and take a look”.

Cave did. And by his own account, it shifted his perspective.

Writing in today’s Red Hand Files, Cave said he found the video to be “a soulful, moving, and entirely original retelling of ‘Tupelo’”, describing it as “rich in mythos” and “a touching tribute to the great Elvis Presley, as well as to the song itself”. He noted the eerie realism of the AI-animated images, comparing them to a resurrection, with final crucifixion-themed visuals that he called both “shocking and deeply affecting”.

It is a notable turn from a musician who has previously told ChatGPT to “fuck off and leave songwriting alone” and has criticised the idea that creativity can be mimicked by machine. Though Cave maintains his criticisms of AI’s broader implications, he now admits that when used with care, it can offer something emotionally resonant.

The shift may surprise fans, but not those familiar with Cave’s willingness to question his own beliefs. In the same post, he responded to a fan’s question about whether changing your mind is a sign of weakness. His answer, in short, was no.

The AI-assisted video arrives as Cave continues to reflect publicly on art, grief, and creative integrity. And while he is not likely to start feeding lyrics into a machine anytime soon, this video suggests his thinking around AI is no longer fixed in stone. Which is good thing, I think and sets an important precedent about changing your mind despite have entrenched