Musician and tech entrepreneur will.i.am is launching an interactive radio service built around conversational AI. Called RAiDiO.FYI, the service lets listeners talk to artificial intelligence serving as DJs as part of a one-on-one exchange designed as a personalized listening experience. RAiDiO.FYI’s AI DJs are trained to converse about topics ranging from music to sports, weather and breaking news. The new service is an offshoot of the performer’s FYI.AI, a platform of digital tools for artists. Users can access RAiDiO.FYI for free on the FYI app for iPhone and Android.

“While the relevance of AM/FM radio continues to wane, particularly with younger audiences, will.i.am’s RAiDiO.FYI promises to reinvigorate the medium by switching it from a passive, immovable experience to one that is much more engaging and playful,” Billboard writes.

The app’s debut iteration was demonstrated at a launch event at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles. There, will.i.am “demonstrated how users can not only enjoy music, but also ask questions about the songs themselves, receiving instant answers,” reports Music Business Worldwide.

For their personal DJ-news curators, users will choose from a selection of AI personalities, “each with a distinct voice reflecting different cultures, from the vibrant streets of South Los Angeles to the underground scenes of East London and beyond,” MBW writes.

The AI hosts will “talk about their given topic before playing some music,” reports Time, adding that “unlike previous AI-driven musical products, such as Spotify’s AI DJ, RAiDiO.FYI permits two-way communication: At any point you can press a button to speak with the AI persona about whatever comes to mind.”

Billboard says that “in the future, FYI will continue to partner with content creators from various Internet niches to publish their own stations” across various topics.

Time explains that FYI stands for Focus Your Ideas and says will.i.am founded the company in 2020. A May 2023 blog post talked about the partnership between IBM and FYI on a creativity-empowering cloud platform, described by TechTimes as “the first productivity tool designed to prioritize the needs of creatives.”

“Will.i.am is among the backers of a new AI-powered instant music-making app called Udio, which launched earlier this year after raising $10 million in funding, and now faces a copyright infringement lawsuit from major record labels,” MBW writes. He launched The FYI Show on SiriusXM and activity includes an audio collaboration with Mercedes-Benz, discussed at CES 2024.