Despite the threat artificial intelligence (AI) poses to his industry, Irish musician Hozier is considering striking.

Actors and writers in Hollywood are currently on strike for better contracts and protection from artificial intelligence.

In an interview with Newsnight, Hozier said he would be willing to participate in a similar strike in the music industry.

As for whether AI “meets the definition of art”, the singer said he wasn’t sure.

For the first time in decades, Hollywood actors and writers manned picket lines in July. They were concerned about the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers’ proposal to keep “digital replicas” of actors.

Despite this, musicians have yet to follow suit regarding the threat AI poses to their own industry. In addition to writing songs, the technology can be used to imitate well-known artists.

After criticism that it violated copyright law, a song using AI to clone the voices of Drake and The Weeknd was removed from streaming services in April.

Upon being asked if he could imagine going on strike over the threat AI poses to music, Hozier, whose real name is Andrew John Hozier-Byrne, said: “Certainly.”

Whether artificial intelligence is art or not, the Grammy-nominated singer, known for his song Take Me to Church, told Victoria Derbyshire is almost a philosophical debate.

I don’t know if it meets the definition of art because it can’t create something based on human experience.”

In the Financial Times last week, it was reported that Google and Universal Music are in talks about licensing artists’ melodies and voices for AI-generated songs.

In addition to discussing Sinéad O’Connor’s death, Hozier discussed his own death.