will.i.am on Teaching AI at ASU and Why the Technology Will Create Jobs

June 24, 2026 - 18:35

Tech entrepreneur and Grammy-winning recording artist will.i.am is stepping into the classroom this year as an instructor at Arizona State University, where he is teaching a course on Artificial Intelligence. The Black Eyed Peas frontman recently shared his approach to the subject, explaining that he is having his students build their own personal AI agents. His goal is to give them hands-on experience with the technology so they can better understand how to use it rather than fear it.

Will.i.am argues that AI will not wipe out jobs the way many people predict. Instead, he believes the technology will create entirely new roles that do not exist yet. He compares the current moment to the early days of the internet, when many feared automation would destroy industries but instead saw the birth of new careers. In his view, the key is for people to learn how to work alongside AI systems rather than compete against them.

Looking further ahead, the musician and tech investor predicts a future where autonomous AI artists will promote their own work and even participate in media interviews. He envisions a landscape where virtual performers release music, interact with fans, and sit down for conversations with journalists, all without a human artist behind the curtain. While some may find this unsettling, will.i.am sees it as a natural evolution of creativity and commerce, driven by the same tools he is now teaching his students to build.