Max Cavalera Says AI Generated Music Will Never Replace Real Human Chemistry

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Published January 2, 2026 by Ned Tepper

Max Cavalera has never been one to sugarcoat his opinions, and when it comes to AI generated music, the Soulfly and ex-Sepultura frontman isn’t buying the hype.

Speaking on the RRBG podcast, Cavalera weighed in on the growing use of artificial intelligence in music creation, arguing that no algorithm can replicate the instinctive, chaotic spark that happens when real musicians collide in a room.

“That’s one of my arguments with people about this whole A.I. shit. To me, that’s like what A.I. cannot do,” Cavalera said.

“You can’t really put people like me and Dino [Cazares] or me and Chino [Moreno], or me and Tom Araya, and you get a cool song out of it. A.I. can never do that. And they won’t be able to do it. They’ll do a false Xerox of it, but it’s not the same… I don’t give a shit what people say. It’s not the same, man, and it will never be.”

For Cavalera, the difference comes down to human chemistry, decades of collaboration across Sepultura, Soulfly, Nailbomb, Cavalera Conspiracy, and countless guest spots have reinforced his belief that creativity isn’t something you can program. It’s messy, emotional, and often unpredictable.

That said, he isn’t entirely dismissive of the technology, Cavalera stopped short of calling AI an outright threat, instead suggesting it’s something musicians will have to learn to live alongside.

“My hope is that we can coexist with this thing; that’s my wish. ’Cause I think some of it can be good, if it’s done the right way. I think we’re gonna actually learn to coexist with this A.I. technology and see where it goes from there. But the soul of the person, yeah, that’s a unique thing. Your heart, your passion, that’s a human thing, man.”