Gene Simmons ain't lumping himself in with other musicians threatened by the emerging use of AI in the biz -- in fact, he's leaning into it, and is ready to live on as a hologram in music.
The KISS singer spoke to us on "TMZ Live" Thursday about the band's upcoming digital avatar residency ... saying he and his bandmates are ready to rock out as digital pixels for years to come, because if they don't they'll just become yesterday's news.
Gene tells us despite his band never touring as KISS in the flesh again, things for them are only just beginning -- this after selling their entire music catalog, name, and likeness to Pophouse Entertainment for about $300 million.
As for whether KISS fans will embrace hologram versions of them onstage over flesh, Gene says they'll have no choice but to ... because the tech has evolved so much the whole show will be like nothing anyone's ever seen before. He's teasing a helluva show here, just listen.
Gene goes on to say he's seen the first fragments of the show that's coming together, and compares it to ABBA's phenomenal hologram concerts in London ... saying KISS' concerts will blow people outta the water.
Simply put, it's multi-dimensional, larger-than-life, and jaw-droppingly amazing ... so people won't really miss the human component when the shows begin in 2027. And, bigger picture ... he's got no issue adapting to the times and leaning into tech to make sure KISS lives on.
Gene says the future is here, and AI is here to stay ... so we all have to deal with it. It's a rock and roll revolution, and KISS is leading the charge into a new era!