Spotify is harnessing OpenAI’s generative artificial intelligence for DJ, a personalized audio guide that will not only curate tunes based on a listener’s taste, but will also deliver commentary and banter “in a stunningly realistic voice” that leverages technology from subsidiary Sonantic, acquired last year. The new feature is launching in beta this week in the U.S. and Canada with a high level of human oversight, expected to diminish over time. The combination of “generative AI tooling” and the expertise of Spotify music editors will allow the company to scale and customize “in ways never before possible.”

“Spotify describes it as an ‘AI DJ in your pocket’ that ‘knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you,’” reports The Verge, which said it’s looking forward to testing the results, but adds that a launch trailer and social media clips “rather accurately mimic a radio station presenter, dropping in little bits of trivia and commentary about the artist or track while smoothly transitioning between songs.”

DJ’s voice is modeled on that of Spotify head of cultural partnerships Xavier “X” Jernigan, previously host of “The Get Up” morning show. “His personality and voice resonated with our listeners and resulted in a loyal following,” the company said in an announcement. “His voice is the first model for the DJ, and we’ll continue to iterate and innovate, as we do with all our products.”

Users can access DJ via the music feed on their home page in the Spotify mobile app for iOS or Android. The Verge calls DJ “a halfway house between a radio station you have no control over and a playlist you’ve meticulously curated,” adding that it’s “one of the more interesting applications we’ve seen out of the recent slew of AI-powered tools. In particular, because the service is returning to radio, which many jumped to streaming to avoid.”

The DJ feature “has the potential to turn Spotify into a lean-back, passive experience for those times users don’t feel like dictating to Spotify what to stream next or fumbling around with its interface to find a playlist they like,” writes TechCrunch, noting that Spotify unveiled the new feature ahead of its upcoming Stream On event, “where the company is expected to announce a redesigned home feed and other updates.”

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Spotify Is Testing Playlists That Could Be Unlocked by NFT Holders, TechCrunch, 2/23/23