The Weeknd teased an upcoming concert live stream using AI-generated visuals
The Weeknd has released an AI-generated concert teaser trailer, directed by visual artist YZA Voku and created using multiple AI tools, showcasing the artist's embrace of generative AI technology in music promotion despite ongoing controversies surrounding AI's use of copyrighted material.
The Weeknd is the latest musician to join the ranks of artists embracing the promise of generative AI even as others continue to fight against what they perceive as a technology unlawfully abusing copyrighted works to the advantage of a select few. The artist recently shared a teaser trailer promoting the live streaming of his September 8 concert in São Paulo, Brazil. The teaser's credits list Madrid-based visual artist YZA Voku as the video's director.
On her website, YZA Voku describes herself as a "visual artist with a background in art direction, photography and filmmaking currently experimenting with AI tools in order to explore new ways of expression." Indeed, the teaser trailer's credits list Google Veo, Midjourney, Runway Gen-3, and Luma's Dream Machine as the software used to create the visuals featured in the video, which largely match The Weeknd's aesthetic and feature monstrous faces, masks, fire, shadowy figures with burning heads, a car sinking underwater, and even a brief glimpse of the artist's head.
The Weeknd and YZA Voku have shared the teaser on several social media platforms. At the same time, Matthieu Lorrain, Creative Lead at Google DeepMind, took to LinkedIn to confirm Google DeepMind's participation in the creative process thanks to the company's Veo generation model, which unlike many of its competitors, including Luma's Dream Machine, is available by invitation only.
