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How AI is bringing the voices of John Legend, Demi Lovato and T-Pain to YouTube

How AI is bringing the voices of John Legend, Demi Lovato and T-Pain to YouTube

Will the next 'All Of Me' be created by artificial intelligence?

Musicians are understandably nervous at the impact AI might have on their livelihood.

After all, who among us hasn't hear an AI generated track in the style of a familiar singer and been blown away by just how realistic it sounds?

Earlier this year an AI-generated Drake song went viral - with many of us refusing to believe it wasn't actually by the rapper.

Now, YouTube is experimenting even more with the possibilities of AI in music - but with the collaborative help of some of the biggest artists in the world right now.

John Legend, Demi Lovato, T-Pain, Sia and Charlie Puth are just some of the musicians who have signed on to collaborate with YouTube in the first of a set of AI-related music experiments, called Dream Track for Shorts and Music AI tools.

"Now AI tools are opening up a new playground for creativity," said Lyor Cohen, global head of music at YouTube and Google, in a YouTube video.

"We're experimenting with new ways to let artists, songwriters and producers instantly hear their ideas; new ways to use technology to create music."

Cohen gives a couple of examples of how the it might work: first by singing a tune and showing how AI can then generate that into a saxophone solo.

Getty
Getty

Another example is how you can put in an idea for a song - in this instance, Cohen suggested an upbeat acoustic ballad about how opposites attract in the style of Charlie Puth - and AI will produce it.

"We're partnering with some of the most creative people on the planet to make sure AI will have a positive impact on the future of music," Cohen said.

From now, you'll be able to create a 30-second unique track in the style of a set of creators who have collaborated with YouTube - which alongside Puth and Legend also include Troye Sivan, Charli XCX, Papoose, Louis Bell and Alec Benjamin.

The project - done in collaboration with Google DeepMind, the tech company's AI arm - follows the set of AI music principles YouTube published earlier this year, in an effort to use the technology "responsibly".

“Being a part of YouTube’s Dream Track experiment is an opportunity to help shape possibilities for the future," Legend said of the collaboration.

"As an artist, I am happy to have a seat at the table and I look forward to seeing what the creators dream up during this period.”

While many of the artists noted their wariness - both Charli XCX and Troye Sivan said they were "cautious" about their dealings with AI, there seems to be a healthy amount of optimism.

Lovato said: ""The development of AI technology is rapidly changing the way we navigate the landscape and I believe as artists we need to be a part of shaping what that future looks like. My career has been about pushing boundaries of and creating the most interesting music for my fans."

The news comes just days after YouTube announced it was rolling out new rules for AI content, including a requirement that creators reveal whether they have used generative AI to make realistic-looking videos.

Featured Image Credit: Araya Doheny/Getty Images for Baby2Baby/JC Olivera/WireImage