January 9, 2026
Speaking at CES 2026, the Wu-Tang Clan founder described artificial intelligence as a powerful tool that shortens production timelines while expanding creative possibility.
Wu-Tang Clan co-founder RZA says artificial intelligence has become an essential part of how he creates music and films, allowing him to move faster while maintaining artistic control. The legendary producer and filmmaker, born Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, discussed his evolving workflow during a CES 2026 panel titled “From Concept to Reality: Creatives Using AI to Bring Big Ideas to Life.”
RZA told the audience he views AI not as a replacement for creativity, but as a powerful support system that helps bring ideas to life more efficiently.
“Creativity is time,” he said. “It could take three days to get something good with today’s technology. And with an AI assistant, I could turn those three days into three hours. So even quicker.”
He explained that he currently uses Gemini, Google’s AI assistant capable of generating images and video from text prompts. RZA said the technology helped him visualize scenes for a film project involving characters boarding the Staten Island Ferry and traveling across a frozen Hudson River — an effect that would typically be costly and difficult to execute.
Using AI tools, RZA said the project took about six weeks to complete and reduced production time by roughly 70% compared to traditional Hollywood timelines. He contrasted the process with older filmmaking methods, noting how labor-intensive special effects once were.
“In those days, the special effects, someone had to paint on the frame,” he said. “And the tedious work of that is what took so much time in those days. Now, with the power of technology, AI, you can have that done for you. You still gotta have the idea.”
As reported by AfroTech, RZA also spoke philosophically about creativity, citing a concept that resonated with him. “Any thought conceived can be expressed,” he said. “You may have the thought and not the resources to express it. I think now with this assistant intelligence… any creative thought conceived now can be expressed.”
AI has also influenced RZA’s approach to music. He said the technology played a key role in preparing his 2024 classical album, A Ballet Through Mud, which he ultimately performed with a live orchestra. By using AI to create demos in advance, RZA said he saved both time and money.
“Instead of me spending 10, 12 days of trying to get it right, we got that recorded in one day,” he said. RZA added that orchestra sessions can cost up to $60,000 per day, highlighting the need for efficiency. “The idea of what I wanted them to do was already captured enough so that the human energy… made the demo even better than I imagined.”
RZA emphasized that while AI accelerates music and film production, human emotion and artistic vision remain at the core of his work — a balance he believes defines the future of creativity.
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