Suchmos -- GAGA

 

In the past several months, the subject of AI has truly revved up with ChatGPT and Midjourney. I was curious enough that I tried to see if I could test out the latter software but alas when I tried to access a Beta version of it, I was told through Discord that there were probably millions of other curious entities that I'd have to apply for a paid subscription. Well, sorry but no.

As of this writing, it's July 2023. Therefore, it's with some surprise that I found out about that Japanese television broadcasting had perhaps played around with AI as early as late 2017. Apparently, there was a Fuji-TV late-night program that debuted around Halloween that year in what was a push for innovative programming titled "AI-TV". It was really another one of those zany comedy team-led shows but the planning for skits and other segments was at least partially done by artificial intelligence, and there was even a robot host by the name of Pepper.

The usual custom when it came to trying out new variety shows in Japan was that they would be given a test run during the late night hours, and then if successful, they would get their big premiere during prime time hours. Alas, "AI-TV" didn't make the grade and it finished its time in mid-March 2018 still stuck in the wee hours.

Judging from what I've read of the premise of "AI-TV", it was about the cool and innovative quality of combining comedy-variety and technology. Well, as for the coolness factor, I guess that's why the producers opted to use Suchmos' "GAGA" as the ending theme. Actually, the song was a track from the band's "The Bay" album from July 2015. Filled with the sense of hitting the big city on a full tank of gas to paint the town red, I'm not sure why it's called "GAGA" but hey, it's still fun to listen to. Another Suchmos song from "The Bay" that I covered a few years ago, "YMM", is plenty fun, too.

Still, sorry to hear that Suchmos decided to call it a day in 2021.