There is no doubt that 2023 has been the year of artificial intelligence, which has infected every sector and all the big companies in the technology market. One of the latest examples is Spotify, which is ready to launch a feature allowing users to create a playlist using AI systems. This is a further development on what is already possible within the audio platform, which is thus enriched with an AI chatbot capable of creating a list of tracks in line with the requests made by subscribers via a text prompt. This is similar to most GenAI systems that reply with text to a question or generate an image from a detailed written description.
The company’s goal is to be the best at using AI systems
It should be noted that the innovation is in the testing phase and is available in English at the moment, so as with any experimental move, there is no certainty that it will become a globally available feature. Although we will have to wait and see what kind of results the service will yield and what the reactions of early adopters who try it out will be, it is likely in this case that Spotify’s AI-generated playlist will be one of the first additions the Swedish company will announce in 2024.
Although the discovery of the chatbot was unforeseen, since the credit goes to the user @robdad_, who first showed it on TikTok, the opportunity to use AI to compose a list of songs true to one’s tastes (unless one makes suggestions for different purposes) may well prove to be a welcome feature for users, especially now when artificial intelligence is all the rage and triggers the curiosity of a much larger segment of the curious than experts and insiders.
After leaks on social media, AI Playlist, the name of the new feature, was confirmed by Spotify to TechCrunch. On a practical level, it should be accessible in the library in the mobile app and desktop version, with an operation that should mimic ChatGPT’s. This means that the user only has to fill in the prompt to start the process that generates the playlist. If permanently integrated into the app, AI Playlist, Spotify will offer a third way users can create playlists: personal or shared with friends.
Facilitating the task of completing the prompt, especially for the undecided, are suggestions on the type of music one would like to listen to based on one’s mood or activities. Once completed, it only takes seconds for the AI system to generate the result, with the user still having the option to remove any songs they don’t like.
What makes the arrival of the new feature likely is the precedent that Spotify introduced last February. This is AI DJ, which customises the offering by suggesting artists, tracks and music styles thanks to recommendations resulting from the combination of OpenAI’s generative AI technology and the music culture of the audio platform’s editors. The feature is currently available in 50 countries, but in Europe, it is only in the UK and Ireland. Spotify’s goal in this field has been clear for some time: ‘to demonstrate competence in the use of artificial intelligence’, as explained by Ziad Sultan, Spotify’s vice-president of personalisaQAtion.
Spotify grows but fires
Between experiments and research into how to improve the service, even Spotify has to deal with the crisis. Despite growing earnings, at the beginning of December, CEO and co-founder Daniel Ek announced the dismissal of almost 1600 employees (17% of the workforce). ‘Economic growth has slowed dramatically, and capital has become more expensive. Spotify is not an exception to these realities.
As with many other companies, Spotify has done a lot of hiring during the two-year COVID-19period and achieved high results over the past two years. Now, it is time for cuts. ‘In 2020 and 2021, we took advantage of the opportunity presented by lower-cost capital and invested significantly in team expansion, content enhancement, marketing, and new verticals. When we look back on 2022 and 2023, it has truly been impressive what we have accomplished. But, at the same time, the reality is much of this output was linked to having more resources. By most metrics, we were more productive but less efficient. We need to be both,’ reads Ek’s letter.
For the dismissed employees, Spotify will guarantee a severance package of at least five months, health coverage and two months of assistance for immigrants whose status is linked to their employment.
