With modern advances in technology, it seems anything is possible. Now, you can use artificial intelligence (AI) to hear Elvis Presley – the King of Rock and Roll – sing Sir Mix-A-Lot’s 1992 hit, “Baby Got Back.”
This unique experience was created by Michael Faulkner, a computer scientist and engineer who has developed several AI-based projects. He used a technique called source separation, which allows a computer to identify the main vocal among music tracks and extract it from the instrumental. In this technique, AI is taught to recognize patterns in the music, without the need for human input.
This AI was “trained” with recordings of Elvis Presley’s voice, so it could replicate the King’s style and intonation when singing “Baby Got Back.” To create a faithful re-creation, Faulkner recorded different versions of the song using a high-quality microphone, a music synthesizer, and a midi controller. He then fed the recordings into the AI system, allowing it to learn how to replicate the recordings with his own music.
The result is a surprisingly accurate rendition of Elvis singing “Baby Got Back.” It’s a strange but incredibly exciting concept, as it brings AI one step closer to being able to accurately replicate human voices.
Michael Faulkner’s project is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to AI-based music projects. AI technology has already been used to create unique songs with never-before-heard musical ideas. AI is also being used to assist musicians in their songwriting process, by creating and suggesting tailored samples and riffs.
The implications of AI’s advancements in music are exciting, and it’s worth exploring further. listening to Elvis sing “Baby Got Back” using AI is surely just the beginning of a great new frontier for music technology!
