How Will.i.am Is Trying to Reinvent Radio With AI

As a film enthusiast with a keen interest in technology and innovation, I find Will.i.am‘s latest venture into AI-driven radio absolutely captivating. His relentless pursuit of pushing boundaries and embracing technological advancements is not only inspiring but also sets an example for others in the industry.

For quite some time now, will.i.am has been keen on cutting-edge technologies. Currently, he’s putting artificial intelligence to work with the goal of revolutionizing the way we experience radio broadcasting.

The musician, entrepreneur and tech investor has launched RAiDiO.FYI, a set of interactive radio stations themed around topics like sport, pop culture, and politics. Each station is fundamentally interactive: tune in and you’ll be welcomed by name by an AI host “live from the ether,” the Black Eyed Peas frontman tells TIME. Hosts talk about their given topic before playing some music. Unlike previous AI-driven musical products, such as Spotify’s AI DJ, RAiDiO.FYI permits two-way communication: At any point you can press a button to speak with the AI persona about whatever comes to mind.

The stations can be found on FYI, an app developed by FYI.AI (founded by will.i.am in 2020) for communication and collaboration. Within this app, each station is represented as a “project.” All the necessary content such as the AI host’s script, music, and segments are pre-loaded as a comprehensive prompt, allowing the tool to select from it. This tool is driven by large language models provided by third parties. Additionally, the AI personalities possess some web browsing abilities, enabling them to gather information from reliable news sources.

According to will.i.am, when he presented RAiDiO.FYI on August 20 (National Radio Day in the U.S.), he referred to it as “the beginning,” but he explained that there’s more to come. He called this upcoming phase “Act Two,” which will involve collaborations with creators and professionals from various sectors within entertainment and media industries.

One such partnership has already been struck with the media platform Earn Your Leisure, to promote the organization’s upcoming “Invest Fest” conference in Atlanta. At the event, a “hyper-curated” station is intended to replace the traditional pamphlet or email that might contain all relevant conference information, like speaker profiles and the event’s lineup. Instead, will.i.am explains, the conference organizers can feed all those details—as well as further information, such as the content of speeches—to the AI station, where it can be interacted with directly.

Will.i.am envisions his concept of an interactive text-to-station as having a wide range of applications, extending beyond just radio and conferencing. He suggests that it could be utilized for educational purposes by teachers and tutors, for authors to create dynamic books, for podcasters to enhance their podcast segments, or simply whatever the owner of the project desires when collaborating with them to build the station. Will.i.am highlights that this platform offers new opportunities for people to interact with content, as it empowers the content creator to decide who appears on their broadcast, giving them control over sponsorships and advertisements.

Will.i.am has ventured into the realm of artificial intelligence before. As a musician who’s been integrating technology in his work for many years, it was in 2004 when he began pondering its potential after meeting pioneering AI professor Patrick Winston. Recently, in January, he debuted a radio show on SiriusXM that he co-hosts with an artificial intelligence named Qd.pi.

Apart from his role at Intel as their former director of innovative technology, he is also a member of the World Economic Forum’s Advisory Committee for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. This committee focuses on shaping society through technological advancements. He frequently participates in the organization’s yearly gatherings held in Davos to deliberate on this topic. In the past, he established the i.am Angel Foundation, a charitable organization aimed at encouraging computer science and robotics education among youth from his hometown in Los Angeles. This foundation was launched back in 2009.

The Black Eyed Peas’ 2010 video for “Imma Be Rocking That Body” starts with a skit where will.i.am demonstrates advanced tech that can mimic any artist’s voice, surprising his bandmates. This technology exists today. While FYI’s AI personas might still sound robotic and could potentially be swayed by harmful suggestions (like many large language models), they give us a peek into our present-day reality. It won’t take long before not only the radio DJs, but the music itself is generated by AI, predicts will.i.am.

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2024-08-21 21:06