ABBA's Björn Ulvaeus has announced he is composing a new musical with the assistance of artificial intelligence. Speaking at SXSW London, Ulvaeus described AI as a "great tool" that acts like "another songwriter in the room," despite its current limitations in generating full songs or lyrics.
A New Era For Musical Creation
Björn Ulvaeus, the legendary songwriter from ABBA, revealed at SXSW London that he is currently three-quarters of the way through writing a new musical, significantly aided by artificial intelligence. This marks another step in Ulvaeus's long-standing embrace of technological innovation in music, following the success of the ABBA Voyage virtual avatar concert residency.
Ulvaeus highlighted the benefits of AI in the creative process, stating, "It is such a great tool. It is like having another songwriter in the room with a huge reference frame." He explained that AI helps overcome creative blocks by suggesting ideas and directions, even if many of its initial outputs are not directly usable.
AI's Role and Limitations
While enthusiastic about AI's potential, Ulvaeus was also candid about its current shortcomings:
"It’s lousy at writing a whole song."
"Very bad at lyrics."
He clarified that AI serves more as an idea generator, providing prompts that can spark new creative avenues. For instance, if stuck on a lyric or seeking a specific style, AI can offer suggestions, some of which might be insightful.
