will.i.am Launches RAiDiO.FYI, a radio that will answer your questions

There was no better day for will.i.am to commemorate his new initiative than the US ‘National Radio Day.’ RAiDiO.FYI aims to bring a new dimension to the traditional radio format, connecting listeners more deeply with the music they’re hearing, the radio talk they’re consuming and enjoying, and the cultural content they’re consuming.

We will cut to the chase. The new media platform rides on the power of artificial intelligence, turning radio into an AI-injected, interactive, and conversational experience. The conversational part is especially important to highlight, as RAiDiO.FYI offers a two-way dialogue between the consumer and the platform’s AI personas. This feature distinguishes the platform from other seemingly similar tools and services, including Spotify’s ‘AI DJ’ or Deezer’s ‘Playlists with AI.’

The AI personas operate as personalized news curators, collecting and delivering the information that the listener seeks in real-time. Similar to virtual assistant technologies like Alexa or Siri, RAiDiO.FYI’s personas offer a variety of distinct voices, demonstrating different origins and cultures and taking on different global accents and dialects.

The platform was developed by will.i.am’s tech company FYI, with the rapper showcasing its capabilities at an official event at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles back in August. He demonstrated first-hand how users can not only enjoy the music they listen to but also ask questions regarding the songs and receive answers within an instant.

The platform, just like many traditional radio stations, expands its scope beyond music, providing real-time information on current events, fashion trends, sports, culture, and more. On top of that, RAiDiO.FYI integrates location-based personalization, providing information depending on where the listener is located. Such information may also include suggestions for nearby places and venues.

RAiDiO.FYI is accessible through the FYI.AI app and is available for both Android and IOS. will.i.am has long shown to be not only a Grammy-winning artist but also a tech entrepreneur and visionary. He is also one of the many public personalities eager to harness the power of AI in the music industry. Besides founding his own tech company and launching initiatives, he has also been an investor and sponsor of other ventures.

Most notably, he has invested in a new AI-powered instant music-making app called Udio, which launched earlier this year after raising $10 million in funding. The company is now facing a lawsuit over mass copyright infringement filed by the major recording companies. However, that’s a story for another article…