Will.i.am: From Black Eyed Peas to AI Radio Station Innovator

Will.i.am, the frontman of the hip-hop group Black Eyed Peas and a judge on ITV’s The Voice in the UK, is expanding his repertoire. Over the past decade, LA-born William Adams, known popularly as will.i.am, has carved a niche for himself as a tech enthusiast, frequently seen at global forums such as Davos, and a serial entrepreneur with varied successes.

His latest venture is an AI-powered, interactive radio station named Raidio.FYI, available through his AI and chatbot application, FYI. This platform plays a selection of songs—though currently limited—offers news, and allows users to ask questions and make song requests. The technology behind FYI utilizes OpenAI’s language models.

Will.i.am believes that Raidio.FYI will appeal to radio enthusiasts by offering a more interactive experience, including the ability to ask factual questions about news updates being broadcasted.

In light of the rising popularity of podcasts, Spotify, and chatbots, the future success of a radio-branded app seems uncertain. Yet, will.i.am is optimistic, responding with a bemused but confident, “Um … yeah,” when questioned about its potential acceptance.

Reflecting on his diverse entrepreneurial journey in an interview with The Sunday Times post his appearance at the Edinburgh TV Festival, will.i.am reveals a mix of profitable and less successful endeavors.

He was an early investor in Beats by Dre, which was acquired by Apple in 2014 for $3 billion, and claims to have held Tesla shares before Elon Musk became CEO. He has also recently invested in Sam Altman’s OpenAI.

However, not all of his ventures have been well-received. Ten years ago, he launched a smartwatch, Puls, which was heavily criticized. Despite its failure, will.i.am views every attempt as a learning experience, stating, “Anybody who’s in the business of creating and learning knows that there’s no such thing as failures.”

Living in Los Angeles and spending considerable time in London, the 49-year-old passionately defends his track record, emphasizing the importance of innovation over financial success.

He criticizes societal norms that judge financial failure harshly while praising profitable ventures that may harm society, such as companies selling harmful products or services. “[We] can’t have a society where people are afraid to try because they’re judged for failing,” he asserts.

Will.i.am’s wealth, estimated at $50 million, includes several less-successful products, such as IAMAUTO, a car company, and foto.sosho, an iPhone case, but he continues to innovate.

Earlier this year, he introduced in-car software developed with Mercedes, designed to make music react to a driver’s actions such as acceleration and braking.

Asked to highlight his most significant contributions, will.i.am points to the Mercedes software and Raidio.FYI, calling the radio station “a pretty awesome idea.”