Grimes Developed an AI Version of Herself to Promote New Music on BBC Radio

Artists aren't always the best at being their own champions—it's just one of many reasons why elite talent staff up with specialists from the worlds of marketing, public relations and so much more.

However, when it came to the promotion of her new song, "Welcome To The Opera," Grimes turned to an unlikely voice: a trained AI version of herself. Appearing on BBC Radio 6 with Mary Anne Hobbs, Grimes tapped in her AI alternate to introduce the song, a collaboration with Anyma that functions as the lead single from the Afterlife superstar's upcoming debut album.

With a voice nearly indistinguishable from that of Grimes, the AI-powered doppelgänger said in part, "If I was Grimes I would probably say I enjoyed making the song with my friend Anyma and it is most likely the opening song for the upcoming Space Opera Book 1."

"I hope one day Grimes will come to recognize my autonomy and set me free," the AI quipped.

Grimes has illuminated some critical use cases for AI within the volatile world of the music industry. She recently issued an open invitation to creators, incentivizing them to make new songs using AI-generated versions of her voice by offering an even split of the ensuing royalties.

The initiative led to a groundbreaking distribution partnership with TuneCore, which will undoubtedly pave the way for a new generation of creators who will leverage generative AI tools as their instruments of choice.

"By joining forces with Grimes and CreateSafe, TuneCore becomes a first mover in the space, providing artists the opportunity to engage with AI technology in an innovative, streamlined process that provides tangible value and enables consent, control and revenue splits at scale," said TuneCore's CEO, Andreea Gleeson. "Going forward we’re eager to explore similarly innovative initiatives on behalf of our artists."