Dream Theater keyboardist Jordan Rudess recently addressed speculation about the band’s potential use of artificial intelligence in their music. He shared his thoughts in an interview with Hard Rock Rewind.
Rudess explained his position on AI technology within Dream Theater’s creative process. He also clarified the band’s stance on using AI for future recordings.
“In Dream Theater, I’m lucky because in my musical life I do a lot of different things and you know the technology exploration, there’s a little bit of room in that in the Dream Theater world,” Rudess said. “But then there’s kind of a cap there because not everybody’s on the same page in Dream Theater and that’s okay. Because there’s enough of who I am and what I am that I participate in my dream theater world as composer and keyboardist.”
The keyboardist was direct about Dream Theater’s plans regarding AI in their recording process.
“And, you know, there’s not going to be any AI going on in like Dream Theater probably until this band is no longer existing and then maybe I don’t know what’s going to happen with it,” he continued. “Because people will say, ‘Oh, are you going to use AI to create the next record?’ And I’m going to say and I’ll tell you right now no we’re not going to do that. It’s not where everybody’s coming from.”
However, Rudess acknowledged that AI tools might naturally become part of the recording process through engineering software.
“But if the engineers start having tools on their desktops their DAWs that use AI I to do certain tasks. I mean, yeah, then it’s going to be something that, you know, maybe there’s a way to do instead of having to go through every parameter of a sound, the compression, the EQ, the this, the that, maybe there’s an AI, you tell it what style you want it to balance the sound or something, that would probably be, you know, that kind of thing would probably be used because that’s just a going to be a new way to record,” Rudess explained.
These comments come during an active period for Dream Theater. The band continues to tour extensively following the release of their latest album.
Blabbermouth reported that Jordan Rudess has been extensively touring with Dream Theater throughout 2025 and into 2026. The band has been promoting their latest album “Parasomnia” which was released in February 2025. The keyboardist has participated in multiple interviews discussing the touring cycle and the band’s creative direction during this period.
The band launched their “An Evening With Dream Theater” tour, which celebrates “Parasomnia” by performing the album in its entirety. Blabbermouth noted that the tour also features the seven-movement piece “A Change Of Seasons” and other classics from their catalog. The U.S. leg of this tour ran from September 5 through October 25, 2025. Dream Theater is continuing with Latin America and Australia dates in early 2026.
In recent interviews from late 2025, Rudess has discussed several themes beyond AI technology. Blabbermouth revealed that he has emphasized the album’s dynamic range, visual presentation, and emotional significance while reflecting on the excitement of touring after 15 months of worldwide shows. The keyboardist has also highlighted how drummer Mike Portnoy’s return to the band has enhanced their creative output, particularly in setlist curation and album conceptualization.
Rudess’s stance on AI reflects the broader conversation happening across the music industry about technology’s role in creative processes. While he remains open to AI as a production tool, his comments make clear that Dream Theater’s core creative identity will continue to rely on human musicianship and collaboration rather than artificial intelligence-generated compositions.
