From one of the most impactful singles, “Where Is The Love,” to the catchy hit “Boom Boom Pow,” will.i.am has been an integral part of the music industry and still places a massive stamp on the world. As a member of the iconic music group Black Eyed Peas, the Grammy-Award winner has released many popular studio albums. Will.i.am has also played the role of record producer by working alongside other artists such as Michael Jackson, John Legend, Lady Gaga, Chris Brown, and Kendrick Lamar, to name a few.
Born William Adams, will.i.am grew up in Los Angeles, CA. He has always been encouraged to pursue music and stand out. His music career began in the eighth grade, performing with a group around the city. After becoming the Black Eyed Peas, their recognition continued to soar, which landed the group a contract with Interscope Records. The Black Eyed Peas released their first studio album, “Behind The Front” in 1998. With over 25 years in the music industry, will.i.am decided to expand his portfolio and step into new business ventures.
In January 2011, the technology company Intel appointed will.i.am as director of creative innovation. From there, the innovator launched his own technology company called iam+, which provides wearable products that combine fashion and technology. Fast forward to the year 2020, and will.i.am started working on a new AI app called Focus Your Ideas (FYI). With the help of his co-founder and chief technology officer, Sunil Reddy, the FYI app has become an essential resource for creatives. According to the website, FYI is a productivity tool designed to serve the creative community. The app helps with organization, file management, creative collaboration among other creatives, protected data-sharing, and more.
During the AFROTECH™ 2024 Conference, on Nov. 14, will.i.am shared more details about his new app and how artists, whether in music, art, or another industry, can use AI efficiently. During an interview with AFROTECH™, the tech pioneer expounded on how others can use future advancements properly. As AI software continues to be weaved more into society, will.i.am emphasized that AI should only be a resourceful tool and not seen as a replacement for the creative development process that determines a creator’s success.
“A creative’s success is not reliant on AI. That all depends on the creative and their tenacity,” will.i.am said. “There’s no magical cocktail, whether it’s equipment or AI, that will determine that. What determines an artist’s success is the method of attempt, fail, repeat, until you attempt and you make it. Even after that, you still have to attempt again after you make it. That’s part of the journey. All the AI does is allow you to organize better and access things that will help with strategizing, marketing, improving your business model, etc.”
Will.i.am is very intentional about incorporating music and technology. In January 2024, the innovator launched an immersive experience called MBUX Sound Drive in partnership with Mercedes-AMG. Per a press release, this technology takes an interactive music experience for the driver to an elevated level. With various sensors and advanced software, MBUX SOUND DRIVE interprets a driver’s driving style and converts the car ride into an engaging live musical event. This includes taking acceleration, steering, and braking and transforming them into musical expressions.
With the excitement of the new technology and music artist collaboration, will.i.am is working on new features within FYI that make room for music to be more instrumental in daily life.
“There is this new feature we have called Radio.FYI. I can’t wait to see that in cars, TVs, speakers, and other media companies,” will.i.am shared. “The goal is to build stations using FYI projects. You can turn those projects that you are working on into stations. I can’t wait for that. Just proliferating our platform and scaling across distribution partners like Mercedes and media partners.”
While the desire for technology is growing, so is the need for cultural representation. For will.i.am, he understands that being at the forefront of creating access for people within the community benefits the next generation and proves that the possibilities for Black and brown aspiring entrepreneurs are unlimited.
“It’s important to ensure our products reflect what’s possible for folks from our communities,” he said. “When you think about how much messaging, communication, digital asset management, and AI companies come from folks, it’s important for us to see ourselves in this field. I know I’ve tried over and over within my experience. I use trial and error to get things right. So people from our community need to know that they too can launch within tech and build solutions.”
