Paul McCartney Reveals AI-Infused Beatles Song Featuring John Lennon’s Voice

Decades after The Beatles disbanded and years after John Lennon’s passing, a new song from the iconic British group is set to be released this year, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence (AI).

In a BBC radio interview on Tuesday, Paul McCartney shared the news. He mentioned that the upcoming Beatles record is based on a demo that was originally created by John Lennon. Through the application of AI, Lennon’s voice was extracted and purified, allowing them to mix the record as they would normally do.

McCartney revealed that the song will be released later this year.

The decision to finish the song was inspired by the 2021 Beatles documentary, “Get Back,” directed by Peter Jackson. McCartney explained that Jackson was able to salvage John’s voice from a poor-quality cassette recording.

“He could separate John’s voice and a piano with AI,” McCartney explained. “The machine was instructed to isolate the voice and remove the guitar.”

Witnessing this technological feat motivated McCartney to produce the old demo, which he had received from Yoko Ono in the 1990s during the production of the Beatles’ Anthology albums. However, the demo had been deemed unfit for release at that time.

While it’s not entirely clear which specific song will be the final result, there is speculation, including by the BBC, that it could be a 1978 piece by Lennon titled “Now And Then.”

This new song will mark the first “new” Beatles project since the band released “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love” as part of the Anthology albums.

Regarding the use of AI in the music industry, McCartney described it as both “scary and exciting,” acknowledging that it represents the future. He expressed curiosity about where this technology will lead the industry.