Bj Bulvaeus Of ABBA Talks About The Role Of AI In Song Writing

JAKARTA - ABBA guitarist Bj Gaelan Ulvaeus admitted that he was writing a new musical paper using artificial intelligence (AI) assistance. He even called the technology a very powerful tool.

Meanwhile, Ulvaeus was one of the speakers at SXSW London 2025 which was held last week. The 80-year-old musician from Sweden said the existence of AI really helped him.

"It's a really great tool. It feels like having another songwriter in the room with a very large reference frame," said Bjguman Ulvaeus.

"This is really an extension of your mind. You have access to things you didn't think about before," he added.

But Ulvaeus made an important note, stating that the current technology is still bad for writing the whole song.

The guitarist said the most useful AI-based app at the moment was to help musicians overcome obstacles when writing songs.

"You can ask for the lyrics you've written about something, and you may be deadlocked, and you want this song to have a certain style," said Ulvaeus.

"You can ask him, how are you going to develop it? What are you going to do from here? Usually the results will be bad, but sometimes there's something in it that gives you other ideas," he added.

Previously, Ulvaeus warned about the existential challenges AI presents to the music industry.

In 2023, his introductory word for a report related to royalties collection in the era reads, "This year's results show that collective management systems, despite all the major challenges they face in adapting to digital, are still strong and effective. CMOs (collective management organizations) support creators they serve and are now giving more money to creators than ever before."

For information, Ulvaeus is the president of the International Confederation of Societies of Authors and Composers or CISAC, a non-profit organization that represents songwriters and composers around the world in collecting and paying royalties to members whose music has been used in broadcasts, concerts, bars, and streaming services.

The organization has made past reports on the issue of using AI in music. Recently, one of their studies showed that music creators could lose nearly a quarter of their income due to AI in 2028.