Who's In This Podcast
Helen Todd is co-founder and CEO of Sociality Squared and the human behind Creativity Squared.
Kaila Love is a Hip Hop artist, technology developer, and political scientist.
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Ep69. A.I. & Hip Hop: Meet Kaila Love, Your “A.I. Homegirl” and Rapper Empowering Independent Artists with A.I. Automation and NFTs
In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and art, few voices resonate as uniquely as Kaila Love’s. A Hip Hop artist, entrepreneur, and A.I. automation specialist, Kaila has been breaking barriers since she started rapping at age 14, and embodies the intersection of creativity and innovation that defines our digital age.
Born and raised in the Bay Area by her great-grandmother, Kaila used music as a vehicle to overcome challenges, becoming the first in her family to graduate college when she received her Bachelor’s in Political Science from UC Berkeley.
As an early adopter of blockchain technology, Kaila has been investing in crypto since 2017. In March 2021, she made history as one of the first female rappers to sell her music as an NFT. This pioneering move led her to author the book “NFTs for Music,” establishing her as a thought leader at the intersection of music and emerging technology.
Creativity Squared host Helen Todd met Kaila at MidwestCon after her keynote presentation titled “Rhythm and Bytes,” and you’re in for a treat today as we dive into Kaila’s go-getter and innovative mind. She’s a forward-thinker who’s vocal about the potential of A.I. to revolutionize the music industry and propel artists beyond streaming into new opportunities to connect with and provide experiences to their fans.
In our conversation, you’ll hear Kaila’s journey from creating her first A.I. bot to developing A.I. education programs to empower musicians. We explore her views on the future of music NFTs, the ethical considerations of A.I. in creative industries, and her vision for new revenue models that benefit artists in the A.I. era.
From hip-hop to high-tech, join us as Kaila shares her passion for music, technology, and humanity, all the while maintaining her roots as the “A.I. Homegirl”!
Continue reading to discover more!
From Rap to Tech: A Journey of Discovery
Kaila’s story begins with a simple desire: to impress a boy through rap!
But what started as a teenage aspiration blossomed into a multifaceted career that spans music, technology, and education.
“I always joke that all I ever wanted to do was be a rapper, and that has taken me on a road to doing so many other things.”
Kaila Love
This road led Kaila from the recording studio to the cutting edge of A.I. technology. Her journey is a testament to the power of curiosity and adaptability in the face of rapid technological change. Kaila’s background — a blend of political science from UC Berkeley and recording arts from Los Medanos College — uniquely positions her to navigate the complex intersections of art, technology, and society.
A.I. as the Ultimate Creative Collaborator
Kaila’s foray into A.I. began with a desire to optimize her music marketing efforts. What she discovered was not just a tool, but a new dimension of creativity.
“I started to discover this kind of additional layer of creativity and marketing and the ways that we can curate fan experiences.”
Kaila Love
This revelation led Kaila to explore the potential of A.I. in various aspects of the creative process, from analyzing lyrics to generating playlists. However, Kaila is quick to emphasize that A.I. is a tool to enhance, not replace, human creativity. She views A.I. as a collaborator that can handle mundane tasks, freeing artists to focus on what they do best — create.
Kaila’s approach to integrating A.I. into her music is both innovative and thought-provoking. In an impromptu freestyle rap during the conversation, she cleverly explores the concept of A.I. mimicking human cognition:
“A.I. is trying to be like you. No other reason. No, get deep, deep, deep into my psyche.”
Kaila Love
This lyrical exploration of A.I.’s capabilities and limitations showcases Kaila’s unique ability to blend complex technological concepts with catchy, thought-provoking hip-hop where listeners not only enjoy her beats but learn about technology at the same time.
NFTs and the Future of Music Distribution
As one of the first female rappers to sell her music as an NFT, Kaila is at the forefront of a potential revolution in music distribution. She sees NFTs not just as a new technology, but as a return to fundamental principles of artist-fan relationships.
“My first NFT, it was basically a folder, then it’s like everything that’s inside that folder…This one was for a single called ‘I Did.’ So I included the WAV file, I included the MP3, I included the lyric sheets, I included the cover art, and I included…a voice memo, like, ‘Congratulations on being the owner of my genesis mint NFT.’”
Kaila Love
Kaila’s experience with NFTs highlights the potential for direct-to-consumer sales in the music industry, creating unique experiences for fans while providing artists with new revenue streams.
However, she also acknowledges the challenges in this space, including issues of copyright, compensation, and the need for greater transparency in how A.I. systems use artists’ work.
The Ethical Imperative in A.I. Development
Throughout the conversation, Kaila emphasizes the importance of ethical A.I. development. She recognizes the potential for A.I. to perpetuate biases and inequalities if not developed responsibly.
“All of the things that we fight against in this world, all the racism and the sexism, all the -isms, you know, they can get coded into A.I., because at the end of the day, this is not just something that’s operating on its own, there’s a human behind it.”
Kaila Love
This awareness drives Kaila’s commitment to making A.I. education accessible to diverse groups, particularly those who have been traditionally underrepresented in tech spaces. She sees this as crucial not only for equity but for the development of A.I. systems that truly serve all of humanity.
A.I. as a Tool for Human Connection
Contrary to fears that A.I. might replace human interaction, Kaila sees potential for A.I. to facilitate deeper connections.
“People be like, ‘Oh, well, we should get outside and develop more authentic human connections.’ But there’s some people that just really need help, or maybe don’t have those resources, or just super introverted, and A.I. can…maybe solve for some people’s loneliness.”
Kaila Love
This perspective challenges us to think beyond the binary of human vs. machine, instead considering how A.I. can complement and enhance our human experiences.
Empowering Creatives in the A.I. Era
Kaila’s vision for the future of creativity in the age of A.I. is both exciting and empowering. She sees A.I. as a tool that can democratize creative processes, allowing artists to compete with larger entities on a more level playing field.
“I think that artists are being called right now to play a new, elevated role in society, and that’s why I’m really passionate about the direct-to-consumer model, helping artists like really identify who their fan base is.”
Kaila Love
By leveraging A.I. tools, Kaila believes artists can focus more on creating meaningful connections with their audience, rather than getting bogged down in the minutiae of marketing and distribution.
The Human Touch in an A.I. World
Despite her enthusiasm for A.I., Kaila never loses sight of the irreplaceable value of human creativity. She emphasizes that while A.I. can be a powerful tool, it’s the human touch that gives art its soul.
“Your output is only as good as your input. So whether you are prompting a generative A.I. system or creating a song or painting, writing an essay… just make sure that you give it your best at the very beginning.”
Kaila Love
This philosophy underscores Kaila’s approach to A.I. — not as a replacement for human creativity, but as a means to amplify and enhance it.
Looking to the Future
Kaila’s journey from aspiring rapper to A.I. innovator is a testament to the unexpected paths that creativity can take in our rapidly evolving digital landscape — and her predictions for the future of A.I. in creative industries are both thrilling and thought-provoking.
She envisions a world where custom A.I. agents become as commonplace as websites, where artists can create personalized A.I. models trained on their own unreleased works, and where blockchain technology might offer new solutions for copyright and compensation issues.
Yet, amidst all this technological progress, Kaila never loses sight of the human element. She reminds us that at its core, art is about expression, connection, and the shared human experience. A.I., in her view, is simply a new and powerful tool to facilitate these timeless artistic goals.
As we look to the future, it’s clear that the rhythm of innovation beats on. And with visionaries like Kaila Love leading the way, the melody of human creativity promises to be more vibrant than ever.
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Thank you, Kaila, for joining us on this special episode of Creativity Squared.
This show is produced and made possible by the team at PLAY Audio Agency: https://playaudioagency.com.
Creativity Squared is brought to you by Sociality Squared, a social media agency who understands the magic of bringing people together around what they value and love: http://socialitysquared.com.
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