theory

Grimes Wants Communists to Give AI a Chance

Photo: Presley Ann/Patrick McMullan via Getty Image

Grimes may be dating the richest man on the planet, but that doesn’t stop the musician from thinking about communism. Take this June 2 TikTok, in which Grimes presents a “proposition for the communists.†In the humble tradition of previous communist thinkers like Karl Marx, she continues, “If you think about it, AI is actually the fastest path to communism.†Let her explain: “If implemented correctly, AI could actually theoretically solve for abundance. Like, we could totally get to a situation where nobody has to work, everybody is provided for with a comfortable state of being, comfortable living. AI could automate all the farming, weed out systematic corruption, thereby bringing us to as close as possible to genuine equality.†Never mind that technology often plays into the worst impulses of capitalism and exacerbates inequality — Grimes says robots can help us farm! (As if, also, farming is the only work that needs to be done in a communist society?) “Because let’s be real,†Grimes adds. “Enforced farming is really not a vibe.â€

The artist later commented that the TikTok was “a joke,†adding that she’s “not a communist,†in case you confused her — again, dating the richest person on earth! — for one. “But maybe the technocrats and communists could get along,†she continued. Let a girl dream.

Grimes Wants Communists to Give AI a Chance