UMG is partnering with AI tech company SoundLabs to allow its artists access to the soon-to-launch AI vocal plugin MicDrop. The software enables musicians to "use their own voice data for training while retaining control over ownership" and enjoy "full artistic approval and control of the output."

SoundLabs was founded by veteran electronic-music artist and software developer BT, who has patented such plugins as Stutter Edit, BreakTweaker, Polaris and Phobos while also working in the studio with acts like Madonna, David Bowie and Peter Gabriel.

"SoundLabs will allow UMG artists to push creative boundaries using voice-to-voice AI to sing in languages they don’t speak, perform duets with their younger selves, restore imperfect vocal recordings and more," said UMG SVP, Strategic Technology Chris Horton.

Added BT, whose real name is Brian Transeau, "Artificial intelligence, when used ethically and trained consensually, has the Promethean ability to unlock unimaginable new creative insights, diminish friction in the creative process and democratize creativity for artists, fans and creators of all stripes. We are designing tools not to replace human artists but to amplify human creativity."

Compatible with all major digital-audio workstations, MicDrop offers "previously impossible vocal transformations" such as voice-to-voice, voice-to-instrument, speech-to-singing and language transposition, which will let artists experiment without worrying that said experiments will somehow be made public.

Meanwhile, this article was written by a human being who could really go for a sandwich, AI or otherwise.