Spotify builds on its AI DJ feature by adding a new AI-powered playlist feature. No, this isn’t just asking Spotify to spit out, say, metalcore classics from the 2010s, but instead more of a “my dog is sad and I like the color purple, make me a list of songs“ the kind of thing. You can request it and Spotify will find a playlist for you. How far you can push it remains to be seen, but I plan to test its guardrails when I get the chance.
Spotify’s AI project fits into its other efforts to differentiate its service from rivals such as Apple Music and offerings from Amazon. The European tech giant has also pushed audiobooks, podcasting and even edtech in recent years.
Starting in just a few countries, the new AI playlist feature will roll out to more markets over time. How long it will take to reach your hands is unclear if you, like me, are not in the launch countries. Some Spotify users have complained about new product launches it may take longer than they want to reach their home market, it is worth noting.
The wave of artificial intelligence hitting the world of music has not yet made the art obsolete, but it seems to be trying to find a place in the way we discover and consume the art itself. Maybe this is a good compromise.
By now you might be a little tired of hearing about artificial intelligence all day, every day. Not that there’s anything wrong with AI news per se. Many tech companies are working hard to infuse new AI technology into their products and services. It’s a great business story to say the least. Then there is the consumer perspective, where AI comes closer to our daily lives. But for those of us who aren’t mega-ChatGPT users, AI can seem somewhat removed from our normal existence. Tools like Spotify’s latest can bring AI more into the way we do our regular, mundane tasks, like queuing up for new tunes. Or not so new tunes, at least according to me some users who see Spotify’s playlist business as part of a repetitive effort to push the same songs over and over again.
Press play, let’s have fun!
