AI Generated Sanremo: A Singular Proposal

Enrico Viceconte

7 min read

By Enrico Viceconte

Abstract

A Sanremo Song Festival (Festival di Sanremo) entirely generated by artificial intelligence? This is not just a thought experiment but a real possibility given the current state of technology. Songs written by algorithms, digital avatars on stage, AI-generated scenography in real time, and a jury made up of both humans and artificial intelligences — would this be the natural evolution of entertainment or the end of art as we know it?

Diving Into the Idea

As I read Ray Kurzweil’s The Singularity is Nearer, I desperately try to escape the crossfire of all media outlets obsessed with (and obsessively covering) the Festival di Sanremo. So, I retreat with my generative AI tool — a playful experiment, but one that I hope sparks reflection on the impact of AI on our lives.

Ray Kurzweil, now Google’s Director of Engineering and one of the most influential prophets of artificial intelligence, has always had a special connection with music. Raised in a family of artists (his father was a musician), he designed one of the first digital synthesizers in the 1980s, capable of faithfully reproducing acoustic instrument sounds. The Kurzweil synthesizer is still widely recognized by musicians today. A perfect intersection of technology and art — and few people know that the same creative genius also invented OCR software (which reads scanned text) and other marvels of artificial intelligence.

As the Sanremo hype peaks, I ask ChatGPT: “What if the entire festival were generated by artificial intelligence?”

Not just the songs, but also the lyrics, the scenography, virtual singers, and even the jury? What would the business model look like within the entertainment industry? And what impact would this have on aesthetics, a branch of philosophy that, since Aristotle, has posed questions such as: What is beauty? What generates aesthetic pleasure? And, ultimately, how does the formulation of aesthetic judgment intersect with the values of authenticity, originality, and the ‘humanity’ of the artificial creations we consume for entertainment?

To explore this scenario, I asked ChatGPT for its perspective by formulating the following prompt:

The Prompt for ChatGPT

“Now, let’s see what ChatGPT has to say about this…”

?? Sanremo AI: A “Singular“ ”Festival

A Sanremo entirely created by AI? It’s no longer science fiction.

Imagine a Festival di Sanremo with no human artists. Songs composed by algorithms, lyrics generated automatically, performances by digital avatars, AI-designed scenography transforming in real time, and even a jury where multiple AI models deliver their verdict. Utopian? Dystopian? Or simply inevitable?

AI has already begun infiltrating music. MuseNet (OpenAI) can compose in any style, Jukedeck creates personalized songs on demand, while text-to-speech and deepfake models allow artists from the past and future to “sing” new compositions. So why not imagine an entire AI-driven festival?

?? Music: Songwriting, AI Battles, and Virtual Collaborations

The songs in competition could fall into three categories:

• AI Songwriting for Human Artists: The AI composes lyrics and music, but the interpretation is left to real singers. It would be interesting to see if the audience can distinguish between a song written by a human and one created by an algorithm.
• AI Full Generated: Songs entirely created and performed by AI, featuring synthesized voices and digital avatars. The real challenge here is not just the technology but understanding whether a human audience can feel emotions from a completely artificial performance.
• AI Music Battles: True AI face-offs, where different generative models compete, each with its own style and approach to composition. A parallel festival where software like Aiva and Boomy go head-to-head to prove who can generate the perfect hit.

And let’s not forget the impossible duets: Mina singing with David Bowie, Vasco Rossi with a virtual Frank Sinatra. With today’s AI vocal technologies, anything is possible.

???? The Jury: AI vs. Humans

One of the most intriguing experiments would be understanding whether an AI can judge music better than human experts.

• AI Jury: Various AI models analyze songs based on technical and emotional parameters. Perhaps even an AI “music critic” trained on reviews from magazines like Rolling Stone or Pitchfork.
• Human Expert Jury: Critics, producers, and real artists evaluate the quality of compositions.
• Public Televote: Because, in the end, what matters is whether people end up singing the song in the shower the next day.

Imagine the verdict: the audience loves an AI-generated song, but the human jury dismisses it as “cold” and “soulless,” while the AI considers it statistically perfect. Would this make for compelling entertainment? Would it be a commercial success?

?? Avatars, Scenography, and Generative Performances

If AI can create music, why stop there? The entire show could be generated in real-time.

• Virtual Artists: Digital avatars with AI-generated voices, moving on stage with the realism of a flesh-and-blood performer.
• Real-Time Scenography: Each performance could transform the environment, adapting to the music in ways impossible for a traditional show.
• A Festival in the Metaverse? A Sanremo AI accessible via VR headsets, allowing the audience to “step into” AI-generated visual worlds.

It would be a fluid festival, without physical limitations. But would it still feel like Sanremo?

?? The Organizational and Business Model: DAO, NFT, and Blockchain

The real issue isn’t whether it can be done but who owns what in a fully AI-generated event.

• Each song becomes an NFT: Fans could buy shares of the songs and earn royalties.
• The festival itself could be governed by a DAO (Decentralized Autonomous Organization): Artistic decisions made collectively by the community through blockchain-based smart contracts.
• Human artists could collaborate with AI, earning a percentage from hybrid creations, with all rights transparently tracked on the blockchain.

Imagine a world where an algorithm writes a song, the public buys NFT shares, and profits are automatically distributed. A new business model for music? Or just a speculative illusion? Would we see DAOs bringing avatars that resemble Geolier or Angelina Mango into competition?

?? Art, AI, and the Future of Music

In the end, the real question isn’t whether AI can create music, but whether we want it to.

For many, art is an expression of the human soul, something no algorithm can truly replicate. But it is also true that pop music follows repetitive patterns, and much of today’s production is already hyper-standardized.

Sanremo AI would not just be a festival — it would be a test of how ready the audience is for entertainment entirely generated by machines.

And if one day, an AI-generated song actually won the Festival di Sanremo? Would it be the triumph of technology or the death of music as we know it? A somewhat naive question, as phrased by the model, but not entirely unfounded. (Note by Enrico Viceconte.)

?? What do you think? Would you enjoy a Festival entirely generated by AI, or do you believe that art should remain human? ??

Ray Kurzweil’s Perspective

Curious about how Ray Kurzweil himself might view this? I asked ChatGPT:

“What would you think of this if you were Ray Kurzweil? Immerse yourself in his writings and answer from his perspective.”

ChatGPT’s Response:

“If I were Ray Kurzweil, I would see an entirely AI-generated Festival di Sanremo as a natural evolution of the intersection between technology and creativity. In the 1980s, with the creation of the Kurzweil K250 synthesizer, I demonstrated how technology could enhance musical expression. A festival of this kind would be another step toward the Technological Singularity — a moment when artificial and human intelligence merge, bringing profound transformations to every aspect of society, including art.”

“My vision has always been optimistic about AI’s potential. I believe artificial intelligence will solve problems beyond human capabilities. An AI-generated festival would not only showcase the creative capacities of machines but would also stimulate debate on the role of AI in our culture and daily lives.”

“However, ethical and social implications must be addressed carefully. The fusion of man and machine raises questions about the nature of art, authenticity, and human experience. But I am convinced that, with a thoughtful approach, we can use AI to amplify human creativity rather than replace it.”

“Ultimately, an AI-driven Festival di Sanremo would not just celebrate technology but also offer an opportunity to reflect on how AI is redefining the boundaries of art and human expression.”

Final Thoughts by Enrico Viceconte

I am not sure whether ChatGPT correctly captured Kurzweil’s thoughts. I remain skeptical about AI models that attempt to interpret someone else’s philosophy. And one thing is certain: I wouldn’t be interested in Sanremo AI any more than I am in the real Sanremo.