Timbaland looks to embrace AI technology for music creation

Timbaland has been a leader in music production for decades now, getting his break in the 1990s with his work for Aaliyah, Ginuwine, and of course Missy Elliot.  As an artist and innovator, he has often been on the cutting edge and now he’s discussing the potential upsides to embracing the new influx of Artificial intelligence in music creation.

In recent weeks, the increased use of AI technology to create deep fake art replicating famous artists has become a steady headline in the music industry.  Some instances, like the viral moment David Guetta created with an Eminem edit, have been fun, while a fake duet between Drake and The Weeknd led to a prolonged effort to remove the track from the internet by the label.  While many are still divided over the place of AI in music, Timbaland is looking to embrace the new technology and legitimize its use in future creations.  Having recently made headlines for admitting to using the new technology to recreate the voice of the deceased rapper, The Notorious B.I.G. for a track, he believes that there is a path forward to preserve and continue the legacy of deceased artists.

Timbaland does point out, that part of the early issue with deep fake and AI-created content, is much of it is unlicensed and low-grade.  He believes that with a more serious commitment to integrating technology into art and music creation, it can be an incredible tool for producers.

“It’s going to really be a new way of creating and a new way of generating money with less costs. I’m already here. This is what I’m doing. I’m going to lead the way.” 

While the track created with The Notorious B.I.G. will not be released without the support of the late rapper’s estate, it appears that Timbaland will continue to push forward to legitimize the new technology for future projects.

Image Credit: Collision Conf via Flickr | License: Attribution 2.0 Generic (CC BY 2.0)