Jay-Z on AI: Machines Can Only Imitate and Will Never Replace Humans

JAKARTA — American rapper Jay-Z has criticised artificial intelligence (AI) and warned the public not to trust information circulating on social media too readily. He said AI technology can imitate people but will never replace genuine human intelligence.

Jay-Z made the remarks as he closed his JAY-Z30 Tour at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, on Saturday (24 October 2026). The concert celebrated 30 years of his career in rap.

“It’s called artificial intelligence because the technology imitates you. It imitates us. We have real intelligence, not artificial intelligence,” Jay-Z said, according to Billboard on Tuesday (27 October 2026).

Jay-Z also urged the audience to be more critical of the information they encounter. Information manipulation, he said, was not new and had been going on for a long time.

“In a world filled with AI and all sorts of things, actually, this has been going on for a long time. We used to call it propaganda. But now the technology has advanced and these people can deceive you. There’s a lot of ‘tricknology’,” he said.

The term “tricknology”, used by Jay-Z, combines “trick” and “technology”. It describes his concern about using technology to deceive or manipulate others.

He encouraged people to question the information they receive, particularly as technology becomes increasingly capable of imitating humans. “Make sure you question everything,” Jay-Z said.

According to Jay-Z, machines can now learn people’s characteristics from the information users provide, including their names and personal styles. That information can then be used to create imitations resembling specific individuals.

“The machines are learning you. You tell them your style, your name, things about yourself, and then the machines imitate you,” Jay-Z said.

However, Jay-Z stressed that AI’s ability to imitate people does not mean it can replace their true identities. “But it can’t be you. It will never be you. So question everything, especially in times like these,” he said.