Unlike many artists, will.i.am, lead singer of the Black Eyed Peas, is not at war with artificial intelligence.
On the contrary: he has just launched a new radio concept, where AI plays host and DJ. "Tech is the most creative space," will.i.
am told AFP on the sidelines of Salesforce's annual event in San Francisco. Working with technology is like starting a band, he said. "When you put a team of developers together, it's like, 'hey, let's start a group.
What type of songs do you want to make? Where do you want to tour?'" As founder and CEO of the startup FYI, will.i.am recently unveiled RAiDiO.
FYI, a set of themed, interactive stations available on the FYI.AI app. The platform features an AI host that reads news and introduces music, mimicking traditional radio stations.
The key difference is that users can interrupt and interact with the AI. "I heard Melania Trump was modeling nude with five hamsters. What's that about?" will.
i.am provocatively asked his app as a demonstration. "Whoaaa.
.. where are you getting these wild stories from?" the radio answered back.
"She did do some nude modeling back in the day," it continued, "but I never heard any credible sources mentioning her modeling with five hamsters. Sounds like some fake news, right?" Currently, the radio station has a limited playlist of 40 tracks. However, William Adams (will.
i.am's birth name) is actively working to secure rights to broader music catalogs. His goal is to innovate in radio because he sees it as an all.