The Verge
Fender’s CEO seems to think your bandmates are just analog AI
Sunday, August 2, 2026
Fender CEO Edward "Bud" Cole said in a May interview with T3 magazine that artificial intelligence could be used in music creation, comparing human musicians to analog AI systems. The comments were made during discussion of the Telecaster's 75th anniversary. Cole's remarks followed earlier company decisions that generated negative attention among musicians and fans.