Young Guru and Timbaland got into a heated debate over Timbo’s new AI artist and the potential of it destroying the music ecosystem.
Timbaland and Young Guru Debate Timbo’s AI Artist
On Sunday (June 8), Timbaland hopped on Twitch and hosted a livestream for people who wanted to debate about his new Artificial Intelligence venture involving his new AI pop artist TaTa. Many people — both fans and critics alike — believe that Timbo’s virtual singer will prompt other music companies to substitute real artists or musicians for robots created from a computer.
Among the guests on Timbaland’s livestream was his friend and Jay-Z‘s longtime engineer Young Guru. The studio veteran cautioned Timbo that his AI artist could lead to the replacement of traditional singers, songwriters and producers, ultimately destroying the current music ecosystem.
“You’re feeding the beast!” Young Guru told Timbo who listened intently to his criticism of his new AI venture.
Guru, who has been an outspoken critic of AI and how it could affect artist’s music copyrights, compared the advancement of AI to automation that changed the auto industry and contributed to the loss of manufacturing jobs in Detroit. A native of the Motor City, Guru witnessed firsthand the devastating effects of car factories closing down in his community and watching family members and others lose their jobs, which impacted their livelihoods. Guru feels the same thing will happen in the music industry.
In his defense, Timbaland denied he’s stealing submitted work by unsigned artists to train his virtual artist. “I can’t train something that I don’t own,” he explained, adding, “I can’t do that.” The producer said he’s using his own music for his AI artist and doesn’t need outside help.
Timbaland also added that his virtual artist is a character he meticulously designed from scratch and will seek help from other entities to help build the artist. The Grammy-winning hitmaker insisted that his AI creation is not going to disrupt the music industry.
Read More: Timbaland Inducted Into 2024 Songwriters Hall of Fame
Do We Need Another AI Rapper?
While Timbaland’s productive debate with Young Guru has eased some concerns about his AI artist, it might give another AI company an idea to develop their own virtual rapper. But we had an AI rapper, and it failed miserably.
In August of 2022, Capitol Records introduced rap fans to its first virtual rapper named FN Meka. The AI-generated artist resembled a whacked-out version of 6ix9ine with its braided green-colored hairstyle, matching green eyes and wearing high-end apparel.
But the robot rapper offended many fans after a previous 2019 song called “Moonwalkin'” revealed the virtual character using the N-word in his lyrics. Following angry protests, Capitol Records admitted they messed up and cut ties with FN Meka. However, much of his content can be viewed on the robot’s TikTok and Instagram pages.
Although AI is leaving some people concerned about its impact in the music industry, it’s here and it’s not going away. However, it will be interesting to see how Timbaland will roll out his AI artist TaTa and the fans’ reception to a virtual pop singer.
