AKB48 Releases AI-Assisted Single After Fan Vote Victory
- tech360.tv
- Sep 17, 2025
- 2 min read
Japanese girl group AKB48 has released an artificial intelligence-assisted single, *Omoide Scroll*, following a televised songwriting contest and subsequent fan vote. The track marks the group's 67th official single and is now available on streaming services.
The competition featured composer Yasushi Akimoto, whose songs have collectively sold over 100 million copies, against an "AI Akimoto" trained on his distinct writing style. Both composed new songs for AKB48 as the group celebrated its 20th anniversary.
Fans were presented with both tracks, without knowing their origin, and asked to vote for their favourite. The results, revealed live on Japanese television, showed the AI-generated song winning by 14,225 votes to Akimoto's 10,535.
"What? You're kidding me!" Akimoto responded on air as the scores were announced. His song, *Cécile*, has since been removed from YouTube.
The Japanese music industry is closely watching fan reactions to *Omoide Scroll*, especially as AKB48’s last 53 songs have reached number one on Japan's Oricon singles chart. A deviation from this streak might be seen as a rejection of the technology.
Yasushi Akimoto, a professor at Kyoto University of Art and Design, is a prominent writer and "idol-maker" in Japanese pop, once called the "Steve Jobs of otaku." He is responsible for creating chart-topping bands including Onyanko Club, AKB48, and their various spin-offs.
For the AI songwriting contest, Google's Gemini software was trained on Akimoto’s essays, vocabulary, and songwriting techniques. It then generated lyrics and selected AKB48 members for performance and choreography.
The song’s completion and arrangement were carried out by humans, although some Japanese media reports suggest the AI software also contributed to the melody. Akimoto followed an identical process for his entry.
Akimoto's song, *Cécile*, presented a Motown pastiche with a French twist, featuring lyrics about obsession with a best friend. Akimoto chose AKB48's current band leader, Kuranoo Narumi, to sing the lead vocal.
The AI-written *Omoide Scroll*, meaning "memory scroll," adopted a modern approach with a lite-techno backing and group chorus. Its lyrics depicted heartbreak in the smartphone era. The AI chose newcomer Ito Momoka to perform, citing her ability with emotional storytelling.
Before the contest, Akimoto expressed a philosophical outlook. "It's fascinating to think that AI could create such a great song, and I'm looking forward to it," he commented. He hoped fans would say, "I never thought of that!"
Following the loss, the musician admitted on live television he was "disappointed," stating, "That's a shame. I wrote it with all my might." The AI program responded, "Maybe the real me was trying to show something new by losing this time." Akimoto retorted, "Shut up!"
Grammy-winning jazz musician Hiromi Uehara and former AKB48 singer Sashihara Rino comforted Akimoto and encouraged a rematch. Akimoto laughed off the suggestion, expressing frustration about technology's ability to find the "maximum common denominator."
However, Akimoto conceded, "I think the AI song is a good song."
Japanese girl group AKB48 released *Omoide Scroll*, an AI-assisted single.
The song won a fan vote against a track composed by veteran songwriter Yasushi Akimoto.
The "AI Akimoto" was powered by Google's Gemini software, trained on Akimoto's writing style.
Source: BBC
