Will.i.am urged musicians to embrace AI by amplifying their imagination during a Black Music Action Coalition panel on artificial intelligence in music. The event, hosted in Los Angeles, featured industry leaders discussing the technology's opportunities and challenges. BMAC's Grammy week also included a Cardi B masterclass and a music maker dinner.
On January 28, 2026, the Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), in partnership with Universal Music Group and Billboard, hosted a panel discussion titled "Artists & Music in the Age of AI" at Will.i.am's FYI campus in Los Angeles. The seven-time Grammy winner, who will teach an AI course at Arizona State University this spring, emphasized creativity's edge over the technology. "It’s an awesome time to be creative and use AI. Don’t just use it to do what we did yesterday because it’s going to do it better than you. AI does not have imagination. It’s a regurgitation of imagination. And the way to beat it to be AI-proof is to throw your imagination on full f—king blast and not repeat what we did yesterday," Will.i.am said.
The afternoon featured two panels. The first, moderated by Blue Note Records president Don Was, included Stability AI's Prem Akkaraju, Songwriters of North America executive Erin McAnally, Splice's Kakul Srivastava, and Sound Labs' BT. Will.i.am joined the second panel with KLAY Vision's Ary Attie, NVIDIA's Shari Reich, and Udio's Andrew Sanchez. UMG executive vice president and chief digital officer Michael Nash captured the group's optimism: "The hopeful thing is we’re having this discussion now. It’s early days, and there is an opportunity for a collaboration to take place that’s going to align the future of AI-driven innovation with the interests of the artist community."
BMAC co-founder and president Willie “Prophet” Stiggers stressed inclusive innovation: "Innovation should expand opportunity, not erase it. We’re proud to partner with Universal Music Group on a groundbreaking convening that brings CEOs, artists and advocates into the same room... A seat at the table for creators is not optional. It is essential."
BMAC's Grammy week began on January 27 with a masterclass on Cardi B's marketing authenticity, featuring her team members like manager Shawn Holiday and Atlantic Records executive Angelique Jones. That evening, the annual Music Maker Dinner at West Hollywood's Sun Rose Room honored Jonathan Azu with the inaugural Music Maker Impact Award and announced grant winners Ripton Powell and Sam Paulino.
