The debate over Tian Winter’s Soca Monarch song choices has taken an unexpected turn, with the reigning Jumpy Monarch firing a sharp jab at Prime Minister Gaston Browne over his AI-assisted “Gassy Dread” music project.

Responding to Browne’s criticism that he should not have returned to an older song for competition, Winter suggested the Prime Minister was in no position to lecture him about music.

“People whose music career is grounded in AI lyrics and melody should be quiet,” Winter said on Observer.

The comment appears to be a direct reference to Browne’s emergence on the music scene under the “Gassy Dread” banner, where artificial intelligence tools have been used to assist with aspects of the creative process, including lyrics and melody.

Browne has generated attention with the project, entering a space traditionally dominated by established singers, songwriters, producers and musicians. But Winter’s response has now placed the use of AI in the spotlight and raised a wider question about who gets to critique artistic choices in Antigua and Barbuda’s music industry.

The clash began after Browne questioned Winter’s decision to use older material in the Soca Monarch competition.

“As far as I’m concerned, Tian should not have opted to go and bring an old song to sing in our competition again,” Browne said during his weekly radio programme over the weekend.

The Prime Minister nevertheless stressed that he remains a fan of Winter, while arguing that Soca Monarch rules should be changed so competitors are required to perform songs released for the current Carnival season.

Winter, however, maintains that he did nothing outside the competition rules.

The soca star said he released four songs for Antigua Carnival 2026 , “Want Um,” “Wait So Long,” “Beat It” and “Single Pan Di Road” and made his competition selections based on which songs he believed carried the strongest “competition sting.”

“Be reminded that the Soca Monarch competition is governed by rules and regulations, so don’t blame me for simply using said rules and regulations,” he said.

But it was Winter’s AI comment that added fresh heat to the exchange.

His remarks broaden the controversy from whether older songs should be allowed in Soca Monarch to another emerging issue confronting the entertainment industry, the role of artificial intelligence in music creation.

AI tools are increasingly capable of assisting with lyrics, melodies, arrangements and other elements of music production, creating debate internationally over originality, authorship and the changing role of human creativity.

Now, with Winter publicly invoking the technology in his response to Browne, that conversation has entered Antigua and Barbuda’s post-Carnival debate.

For Winter, however, the immediate issue remains much simpler: the rules allowed his song choice, and he competed accordingly.

Whether Carnival organisers will now move to change those rules, as Browne has suggested,could become one of the issues to watch ahead of the next Soca Monarch competition.