Billy Idol in Workday's 2023 Masters Tournament "Rock Star" ad
“Oooh, data driven insights and large language models, that’s so rock ’n‘ roll,” roars rock legend Billy Idol in his latest Workday ads co-starring Coachella headliner Gwen Stefani and punk icon Travis Barker.
Airing during The Masters golf tournament, the spots build on a campaign launched at Super Bowl LVII where Idol and other music legends protest the use of the word “rock star” to describe high performers at the office.
On stage at SXSW, Workday’s chief learning officer Chris Ernst and Johnson & Johnson’s global talent chief Michael Ehret explained to me how AI is being used to create “rock stars” in their organizations by helping workers chart their dream careers. With access to a vast skills database, employees can now identify paths they are passionate about as AI personalizes their learning journey with training materials, mentors who can answer questions, and company gigs that can advance careers. And with people living longer, these AI-powered platforms are also being used to re-skill retirees to bring them back into the workforce.
Billy Idol signing autographs (Photo by M. Caulfield/WireImage)
Enter Billy Idol, the iconoclastic rock star who exploded onto the MTV scene in the ’80s, graced the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in leather underwear and lived larger than life as a double platinum artist. He talked with me about his storied career, what it means to be a rock star and the role AI can play in making one.
Billy Idol with Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones and partners Perri Lister and Jo Wood at the Cat Club ... [+]
“Being a rock star says all the things it always did —do what you want, kick down any door in your way and own whatever stage you’re at,” said Idol.
Still hot on the festival circuit at 68, Idol keeps things fresh by collaborating with chart-topping artists, like Miley Cyrus. He’s a fan of Post Malone and The Weeknd, and enjoys exploring underground music on YouTube.
He’s also interested in returning to acting. In the ’90s, he had cameos in Adam Sandler’s The Wedding Singer and Oliver Stone’s The Doors, and was nearly cast by James Cameron as the villainous T1000 in Terminator 2.
Looking back, he said, he never thought it was going to get as big as it did. Ambition and attitude drove much of his success, but there was also timing. To fit in with the hedonism of the era, he gave himself a name like Prince and Madonna that lionized his persona, then set out to make punk sexy. It quickly caught fire and gave him a life he wasn’t expecting.
“It’s funny to think rock ’n‘ roll can keep you healthy doing what you love,” he told me. “It doesn’t get old. It’s a high you can get every night.”
Model and actress China Chow with Billy Idol at the 2019 GQ Men Of The Year Red Carpet (Photo by ... [+]
Always tech forward, he sees the potential for AI as a tool that can to do incredible things, like uncover songs buried deep in old demo tapes and remix them to create something new. But whether the technology can ever understand the nuance of what makes humans rock, that remains to be seen.
“I wonder if the machines can really replicate me, because, you know, I created me as a singer. I was never a naturally gifted singer, so it's not really obvious what I'm doing,” said Idol. “I mean, they could try, I see some of the things they’re doing. It all still sounds a bit faux.”
