Artificial Intelligence Enables Release of the Beatles’ “Last” Album

Paul McCartney revealed on Tuesday that artificial intelligence (AI) technology has played a crucial role in creating what is being touted as the final Beatles record. Decades after the band disbanded, McCartney, 80, shared with the BBC that AI was utilized to extract John Lennon’s voice from an old demo. The innovative process was employed during the production of director Peter Jackson’s documentary series, “The Beatles: Get Back,” released in 2021. The forthcoming song, reconstructed with Lennon’s vocals, is scheduled to be launched later this year.

According to McCartney’s interview with BBC radio, Jackson successfully separated the voices of the Beatles from the background sounds by using AI techniques. McCartney explained, “He could separate them with AI, he’d tell the machine ‘That’s a voice, this is a guitar, lose the guitar’.” The result allowed them to work on a demo that Lennon had, and through AI, they were able to isolate and refine Lennon’s voice, providing flexibility during the mixing process of what McCartney considers to be the last Beatles record.

While the demo’s specific name was not disclosed by McCartney, it is believed to be an unfinished love song from 1978 titled “Now and Then.” The demo was found on a cassette labeled “For Paul,” which McCartney received from Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono.

McCartney described AI technology as both unsettling and thrilling, acknowledging the vast possibilities it presents. He stated, “We will just have to see where that leads.” Notably, McCartney previously utilized AI technology to virtually “duet” with Lennon during last year’s Glastonbury Festival on the track “I’ve Got a Feeling.”

The application of AI in music production has garnered attention beyond the Beatles’ project. Holly Herndon, a multidisciplinary artist, integrated AI technology into her 2019 album “Proto” and developed Holly+, an online protocol that allows the public to submit tracks for reinterpretation and performance by an AI-generated replica of her voice. Herndon explained that the Beatles’ recording likely employed a technique known as “source separation,” which leverages machine learning to isolate vocals and integrate them with new instrumentation.

In the realm of AI and its impact on society, McCartney’s announcement adds to the growing list of advancements and possibilities. From generating sermons to critiquing art, AI continues to push boundaries. The CEO of OpenAI has even proposed the establishment of an international agency similar to the UN’s nuclear watchdog to oversee AI development and mitigate potential risks.

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• BBC: The Beatles: Get Back – AI Used to Make ‘Last’ Record
• The Guardian: Paul McCartney says AI helped create new Beatles song
• Rolling Stone: Paul McCartney Talks AI Extraction of John Lennon’s Voice for New Beatles Song
• Holly Herndon’s Official Website
• TechCrunch: Holly Herndon uses AI for music
• OpenAI: GPT-3.5
• OpenAI CEO suggests international agency like UN’s nuclear watchdog could oversee AI