Published: 10/3/2026
Source: Reuters — Steve Reich on Making Music at Age 90
Minimalist composer Steve Reich says artificial intelligence can be useful for finding information, but he does not use it in his own compositions and remains wary of its creative cost.
Reich contrasted AI with earlier digital tools such as MIDI. He acknowledged that computer-generated mock-ups helped him create work he might not otherwise have completed, while also wondering whether the technology affected his music in undesirable ways.
His latest composition, In All Your Ways, grew through intuition and revision. Reich inserted slower movements into a nearly completed piece because its pace felt relentless, illustrating the kind of judgment he considers central to composition.
Reich’s position is personal rather than a legal or technical verdict. It adds an influential composer’s perspective to the debate over whether convenience strengthens artistic decision-making or gradually replaces it.