Legendary singer-songwriter Sir Paul McCartney, famous for his time with The Beatles, recently discussed his innovative approach to music creation, revealing that he employed artificial intelligence (AI) to produce what he refers to as the band’s “final record.” During an interview with BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, McCartney shared that he utilised AI to “extricate” John Lennon’s voice from an old demo. Although the completed song remains untitled, McCartney disclosed that it is scheduled for release later this year, and its conception was inspired by Peter Jackson’s 2021 Beatles documentary Get Back.
Notably, the track is expected to feature Lennon’s 1978 composition known as Now And Then.
This is the same song that was previously considered a possible reunion for the band back in 1995. However, the idea was dropped at that time, as George Harrison refused to work on the song, calling the sound quality “rubbish.”
Sir Paul McCartney on the “last Beatles record”
Speaking to BBC, McCartney divulged details of the song’s preparation and said, “So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles’ record, it was a demo that John had and we were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI. Then we can mix the record, as you would normally do. So it gives you some sort of leeway.”
Further speaking about the future of the AI-driven song, McCartney noted that he’s not much on the internet, but he’s scared and excited as “AI is the future.”
“It’s kind of scary but exciting because it’s the future. We’ll just have to see where that leads,” he added.
Use of AI in the music industry
McCartney’s statement comes at a time when several artists have been using AI to recreate their older albums. It has also emerged as a topic of debate in the industry, with many also denouncing copyright issues in the latest songs. Many fake songs have been called out recently for using the AI voices of artists including those of Drake, Kanye West, and Rihanna.
