Photo courtesy of Taryn Southern
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Taryn Southern, an award-winning AI artist, storyteller and strategist, began experimenting with artificial intelligence nearly a decade ago. From using AI to compose music to address critical health challenges, Southern has helped transform the creative landscape. Now she’s setting her sights on ensuring the public knows how to leverage these tools for their own personal and professional benefit.
Pioneering AI music
A former American Idol semi-finalist, Southern first gained popularity as a YouTube creator whose music videos racked up hundreds of millions of views. In 2016, Southern shifted her focus away from the “relentless YouTube algorithm,” to refocus her attention on experiments with emerging technology such as artificial intelligence.
Southern’s first AI experiment, AI musical composition, captured global attention. Her first AI-composed single, “Break Free,” released in 2017, made waves by reaching the Top 100 Mediabase radio charts. Her 2018 album “I AM AI” followed, marking a new era in music as the first pop album composed and produced with AI tools like Amper, AIVA, Google Magenta, and Watson Beat.
Experimenting with AI in film, video and art
Following the release of “I AM AI,” Southern’s directorial debut, “I AM HUMAN,” premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. The documentary delved into the world of implantable brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), experimental devices that use AI to decode brain activity and restore function to people with severe neurological disorders.
Southern has since ventured into other experiments that explore the potential of AI to augment human creativity. In 2020, she produced her own digital AI twin, mirroring her persona and voice, offering a glimpse into the future possibilities of digital interaction and personal branding. Her other projects include animating historical photos, re-creating images of her childhood, and transforming her vocals into artists like Katy Perry.
Evangelizing AI in healthcare
Beyond creativity, Taryn has been a vocal advocate for the use of AI in personalized medicine and preventative screenings. In 2019, Southern was diagnosed with stage three breast cancer (she is currently in remission) — an experience that led her to develop a “Cancer 101 GPT,” an application aimed at supporting young women battling breast cancer.
Drawing from her own experience with the disease, her AI-powered conversational app aims to offer friendly guidance on critical issues like hair preservation, pain management, and effective communication with oncologists.
The future of creativity
As creativity and storytelling is re-examined in an AI-augmented world, creators like Southern are giving voice to emerging complex philosophical questions around privacy, authorship, and authenticity. While that’s no easy task, Southern insists on one thing: “AI isn’t replacing human creativity, it’s expanding it.”
Follow Taryn Southern’s AI experiments here.