Dolly Parton shares concerns about AI: “I don’t want to leave my soul here on this earth”

Dolly Parton has expressed concerns that the use of artificial intelligence will keep her soul “grounded” on earth forever after her death.

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The 77-year-old singer-songwriter was speaking at a press conference in London on Thursday about her upcoming album Rockstar when she made the comments about the technology.

Asked for her thoughts on living on in ‘an artificial form’ in the future, Parton replied, “I think I’ve left a great body of work behind.”

“I don’t want AI. The only intelligence I have is artificial,” the musician joked. “Everything I have is artificial.”

“I have to decide how much of that high-tech stuff I want to be involved because I don’t want to leave my soul here on this earth,” she added. “I think with some of this stuff I’ll be grounded here forever… I’ll be around, we’ll find ways to keep me here.”

Elsewhere in the chat, the country star also revealed why she eventually decided to accept her induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame after refusing at the start and saying that she would “respectfully bow out” of the process.

“I didn’t want to take (the honour) because I didn’t think I had earned it. That’s the main reason I went ahead (with rock music),” she said.

Arriving 17 November, Parton’s highly-anticipated rock album Rockstar includes nine original songs and 21 covers of well-known rock classics. The album also features a star-studded lineup of guest artists, such as Paul McCartney, Peter Frampton, Ringo Starr, Steven Tyler, John Fogerty, Debbie Harry, Lizzo and many more.

Check out the album’s first single World on Fire below.