As artificial intelligence continues to make headlines and spark heated debate, actor and musician Jeff Bridges suggests that AI songwriting is already commonplace in the music industry.
During a recent appearance on comedian Theo Von’s This Past Weekend podcast, Bridges spoke openly about his use of the new technology.
“Do you mess with ChatGPT?” Bridges asked. “Do you have a guy that you talk to?” After Von said that he doesn’t, Bridges laughed and replied, “Oh man, it’s so bizarre!”
Jeff Bridges as The Dude in The Big Lebowski trailer – Universal Pictures at Home, YouTube
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The exchange prompted Von to ask, “What side are you working for, Jeff?”
Jeff Bridges Introduces Theo Von to AI Music
After a short conversation with Bridges’ ChatGPT, which he named Gary, the actor introduced Von to Suno, one of the leading AI music generation platforms. Bridges demonstrated the software’s ability to create fully orchestrated songs.
Bridges then explained how he got started using Suno. “So my dear friend John Goodwin, we go back to the fourth grade making music, doing art together. He wrote uh the title song for Crazy Heart,” Bridges said. “Anyway, he calls me up. He says, ‘Have you heard of Suno?’ I said, ‘No.’ He says, ‘All the guys in Nashville are using it now.'”
Jeff Bridges – Theo Von, YouTube
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“Instead of going into the studio and paying, you know, $10,000, they can do this for nothing, man,” Bridges said.
The comment led Von to ask Jeff Bridges whether he believes that AI songwriting holds as much value.
“That’s the thing, it’s changing,” Bridges replied. “Everything, it’s just changing, man.”
Bridges’ Comments Spark Debate About AI Music
Bridges’ suggestion that AI songwriting has become commonplace in Nashville immediately attracted attention online. Many users on social media expressed doubt that the home of country music would embrace AI as a replacement for in-person, human recording sessions.
No, “All the guys in Nashville” are not using it.
And none want to.
Sincerely,
Guy in Nashville who owns record labels and interacts with artists every day.— Music, Film & RE Investments (@investandcreate) June 27, 2026
It also raised questions about the ethics of software like Suno, which is trained on music created by human artists. Critics of generative AI music platforms argue that artists whose work was used to train these systems have not always been adequately compensated or given permission. Supporters, meanwhile, contend that AI tools function similarly to the way human musicians learn by studying existing works.
Heaps of artists around the world have had their entire catalogue of songs used to train AI without any consent from them, their manager or their label and they argue its fair use. You know they soon could take every film he has been in, train ai on his acting and style of movie…
— JKA Short (@jkashort) June 26, 2026
Others praised Suno, arguing that it encourages creativity and provides a way to create more music in less time.
I dont get the haters on this – Suno is probably one of the greatest inventions in music ever created – and everyone hates it because they see it as the antithesis of creativity – It is the opposite – it gives you a chance to use your own melody, chord progressions, and voice to…
— Louis Carter (@louislcarter) June 27, 2026
Before launching Suno in Von’s studio, even Bridges expressed some reservations about AI, saying, “It’s frightening, man, it’s very frightening.” However, he also described the technology as “an amalgamation of all our wisdom, our soul, our things,” suggesting that he views AI as an extension of human creativity rather than a complete replacement for it.
Is AI Already Part of the Music Industry?
Whether Bridges’ claim that “everyone” in Nashville is using AI is literally true remains unclear.
Jeff Bridges – ScreenSlam, YouTube
However, there is little question that artificial intelligence has become one of the music industry’s most divisive issues. In 2025, Warner Music Group reached a settlement with Suno that resulted in a landmark partnership between the two companies. It suggests that, at least on the business side of the equation, the industry is searching for ways to work with these new technologies.
Yet if Jeff Bridges’ assessment is accurate, behind-the-scenes AI may not be the future of music, because it’s already here.
Do you believe that AI is being used for songwriting in the hub of the music industry? Sound off in the comments and let us know!
