Traditionally, music interviews are between a journalist and an artist. The medium can sometimes break free of that format, though. Sometimes, artists interview each other. Then there’s the latest one from The Weeknd. In it, he interviews himself, except it’s himself at 10 years old, except it’s himself at 10 years old as portrayed via AI.
This was arranged by SSENSE, who used ChatGPT to create a “realistic” chatbot version of young Abel Tesfaye, with which present-day Tesfaye had an era-spanning conversation.
The chat starts with talk about TV shows. The Weeknd notes he’s been watching King Of The Hill and AI Tesfaye responds, “King of the Hill sounds like a big adventure! I imagine sitting on a hill being the king of everything I see!” It then asks real The Weeknd if they can make a cartoon of their own together someday.
From there, the two talk about God, imagination, their mother, and more. Depending on your views on AI, the whole thing is either sweet or perhaps a little bit unsettling and strange. At the very least, it’s an interesting exercise in creative use of technology, more of a creative writing endeavor than a journalistic interview.
Check it out here.
