Imogen Heap, a Grammy-award-winning artist, has embraced innovation by collaborating with the artificial intelligence (AI) music platform Jen to launch two AI models inspired by her artistry.
One of these innovations, StyleFilter, leverages Heap’s sound and stylings. Developed with her consent, this AI tool draws from her singles What Have You Done To Me and Last Night of an Empire. StyleFilter allows creators to integrate her musical essence into their compositions through adjustable AI prompts.
Heap described this venture as offering fans the ability to generate music derived from her own works. In a discussion at the Web Summit in Lisbon, she coined the term "songs as a service" to describe the creative possibilities enabled by the tool.
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In addition to StyleFilter, Heap and Jen revealed an AI voice model that mirrors her unique vocals. Jen’s AI systems rely on licensed materials from artists, establishing what the company calls a new benchmark for generative AI in music.
Heap highlighted the challenge of finding platforms that align with her ethical values in generative music. She noted her struggle to locate systems that sourced music permissions until she discovered Jen.
Heap also emphasized how blockchain, social media, and interconnected technologies have transformed the creative industry. These tools, she suggested, empower artists to build a secure database that facilitates ethical innovation.
During the summit, Heap discussed possibilities for AI in music, envisioning tools that evolve into collaborative “base models” created by musicians collectively. She imagined an AI “companion” trained in her creative history, one that could eventually serve as a foundation for artistic exploration.
She explained:
If we can just create these base pieces, then we can build anything from it in an ethical, wholesome and exciting, creative way.
Zooming out a bit, while AI can lead to innovative solutions, its use can sometimes be harmful. Earlier this month, a student's chat with Google's Gemini took an unexpected turn when the bot suddenly sent him a threatening message. What did the AI say? Read the full story.
