The legendary band The Beatles employed artificial intelligence to produce their supposed last song, featuring the voice of John Lennon.
In an interview with the BBC, Paul McCartney discussed the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the creation of a new Beatles song, titled "Now And Then." The song, originally written by John Lennon in 1978, was found on a cassette titled "For Paul" that Lennon recorded in his New York City apartment.
The AI technology was used to extract Lennon's voice from the cassette, separating it from other sounds. This allowed for the cleanup and isolation of Lennon's original vocal recordings without artificially synthesizing or creating new vocals. McCartney emphasized that the process involved cleaning up and separating existing audio sources rather than generating synthetic material, ensuring the authenticity of Lennon's voice in the finished track.
McCartney stated that the use of AI in the final Beatles' song is both scary and exciting. He expressed amazement with the technology but also expressed concerns about its potential misuse. The Beatles are planning to release "Now And Then," and while the release date has not been specified yet, the song is expected to be the final Beatles' record.
The idea to make the final Beatles song came after working with director Peter Jackson on the 2021 Get Back documentary. Jackson's team trained computers to separate the members' voices and instruments for clean audio. The AI technology was also used to separate the piano from Lennon's voice.
Some people are using AI to recreate Lennon's voice singing their songs, according to McCartney. However, the use of AI in "Now And Then" is unique, as it was used to extract Lennon's voice from an existing recording rather than creating new vocals. McCartney stated that the final Beatles' record will be made using the AI-extracted audio.
The future of music might lead to further use of AI technology, according to McCartney. The Beatles are using AI technology to complete and release "Now And Then," and the project exemplifies how advanced machine learning methods in audio source separation can revive and repurpose archival vocal demos for new musical production. The use of AI in "Now And Then" has received wide acclaim and made it the first AI-assisted track nominated for a Grammy Award.
- Gizmodo reported on the use of artificial intelligence in the creation of a new Beatles song, titled "Now And Then."
- The AI technology was used to separate Lennon's voice from other sounds on a cassette, ensuring the authenticity of Lennon's voice in the finished track.
- McCartney expressed excitement and concerns about the potential misuse of AI technology, stating that it is both scary and exciting.
- The Beatles plan to release "Now And Then," and the song is expected to be the final Beatles' record, showcasing the future of music with AI technology.
- Some celebrities have used AI to recreate Lennon's voice singing their songs, but the use of AI in "Now And Then" is unique, as it was used to extract Lennon's voice from an existing recording.
