“One year I woke up, and I’m like, ‘I wanna go to Harvard,’” Will.i.am shared. “I’m doing all of this business stuff, and I wanna make sure that I’m not just taking advantage of success and not disciplining myself to have further success.”
Preparing to attend the ceremony in person is a full-circle moment for Will.i.am. He recalled to host Jennifer Hudson that he didn’t get the experience in high school because he had already signed a record deal at the time.
“This will be my first time walking the stage,” he said.
Will.i.am also mentioned that he’s been getting the full school experience living in a “regular” dorm.
Along with announcing his expected graduation, Will.i.am talked about his new AI show, “will.i.am Presents the FYI Show.” As previously reported by AFROTECH, the SiriusXM show is backed by his AI messaging app, FYI, and discusses AI innovation at the intersection of pop culture, music, entertainment, world news, and technology.
“The FYI Show is a celebration of creators, innovators, and their dreams,” will.i.am shared in a press statement at the time. “Episodes delve into AI-powered projects, exploring the What and the How, while also understanding the passion behind them. At FYI, we provide the right tools, infusing AI to help materialize dreams. An amazing journey awaits us!”
In early 2024, Will.i.am also debuted SoundDrive, his startup, at global tech event CES 2024. SoundDrive — operating inside of a vehicle — works to create and remix tracks that are “conducted by the road” by reacting to the speed and tempo of the driver and providing music to match it, per TechCrunch.
“Right now, still today, in 2024, people make music as if they’re still playing CDs, as if the main source of listening to music is vinyl,” Will.i.am told the outlet. “Beyoncé and Taylor Swift told the world that live music is where the business is, and the only way to actually listen to live music is to go to a concert.”
With Sound Drive, he wants to put that control in the hands of the listener, the outlet shares. The new company’s technology will launch in summer 2024 in Mercedes-Benz’s electric EQ models.
