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Even while some visual artists seek to fight back against generative AI companies in court, other mainstream artists are rapidly embracing the tech and using it to create new projects in their aesthetic.
Case in point: earlier this week, pop star The Weeknd, real name Abel Tesfaye, unveiled a new teaser trailer for a YouTube livestream of his upcoming concert in São Paulo, Brazil on Sept. 7, made using a list of cutting-edge generative AI tools.
According to the trailer’s credits on YouTube, the video was directed by Spanish visual artist Yza Voku, made with a combination of still images generated by Midjourney and animations from Runway’s Gen-3, Luma’s Dream Machine and Google’s Veo AI video generator — the latter of which is still invitation-only for now, and accessible only to a small group of creators handpicked by the search giant.
The visuals contained in the video feature the Weeknd’s typical yet richly phantasmagoric, neon gothic, dark disco style, with monstrous faces, masks, fire, lightning, shadowy figures with burning heads, a car sinking underwater and a figure wading into it, a neon gross grave, robed occultists and hands reaching up from hell, sparse trees, screaming visages, temples and his own head appearing briefly.
The Weeknd shared the AI-generated trailer on his various social media accounts, building anticipation for the livestream.
On X, he encouraged fans to “Feast your eyes,” highlighting the unique visuals that set the tone for the upcoming performance.
Voku also expressed gratitude on Instagram, thanking The Weeknd and XO Records co-founder Lamar C. Taylor.
On LinkedIn, Matthieu Lorrain, Creative Lead at Google DeepMind confirmed that the company aided in the product of the video and called it “another exciting collaboration for our team as we continue to explore new creative territories with generative media.”
While it’s unclear if generative AI will play a role in the livestream itself, the trailer demonstrates the potential of these tools in creative media.
The teaser has already captured the attention of fans and tech enthusiasts alike, eager to see how the full performance will unfold.
The new AI trailer follows an AI-made music video for the band Washed Out (using OpenAI’s Sora) as well as music videos for Ye (formerly Kanye West’s) Vultures also made using Midjourney and Runway. In addition, Madonna’s concert visuals and a music film for Jared Leto’s band 30 Seconds to Mars have also used AI tools.
So clearly, even though a vocal group of artists is unhappy with gen AI and taking it to court for allegedly violating copyright by training on their prior works without permission or compensation, other, massively popular acts see use in the tech and are releasing new projects made with it — despite or perhaps even because of its controversial reputation.
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