A warm return to In the Loop, TIME’s newly launched bi-weekly newsletter focusing on AI. These editions are released both as articles on Time.com and via email. Should you be viewing this in your browser, consider subscribing to receive future editions directly in your inbox?
Key Information: AI Music
Chart-topping success? This week saw numerous claims that “Walk My Walk” by Breaking Rust, an AI-created track, had ascended to become the top country song in the U.S. This assertion is definitively false.
“Walk My Walk,” a rather uninspired country tune focused on themes of autonomy and resistance, garnered only moderate natural traction on various platforms prior to its recent appearance at the top of Billboard’s Country Digital Song Sales chart. However, the track is conspicuously absent from the updated daily country streaming charts on services like Spotify and Apple Music.
Given that digital song purchases are now minimal, reaching the pinnacle of the Country Digital Song Sales chart requires merely a few thousand sales. This situation suggests the potential for a deliberate strategy to achieve this ranking, a tactic not unfamiliar to Billboard, whose digital sales charts have faced manipulation attempts for years, prompting the company to implement measures to curb such practices.
Media sensation. Therefore, while “Walk My Walk” holds the top spot in a single, less significant metric, the extensive coverage of its chart position has generated a self-reinforcing cycle, fueling heightened public interest and debate surrounding the song. Whether admired or reviled, the track is attracting clicks, propelling it to the second position on Spotify’s Viral 50 USA chart.
Kyle Coroneos, founder of Saving Country Music, states, “Billboard’s leniency with its charts has been a long-standing systemic issue, particularly within country music, and this leniency is enabling the current media storm.” He adds, “The individuals responsible for this single likely aimed for precisely this outcome: to capture headlines by securing a No. 1 spot on a country chart, thereby igniting public fascination and pushing the song into widespread awareness.”
Gradual infiltration. Nevertheless, the conversation surrounding “Walk My Walk” illustrates the growing penetration of AI into the music sector. An AI-generated presence has been observed on a Billboard chart for the past month. Furthermore, major labels such as Universal Music Group are forging partnerships with AI technology firms. Coroneos emphasizes, “The entire industry must confront the question, ‘How will we manage these AI-generated songs?’” He warns, “This issue isn’t a future concern; it’s occurring now, impacting genuine human artists who are striving to climb these very charts and encountering difficulties.”
Profiles: Tilly Norwood and Jon M. Chu
At Web Summit in Lisbon this week, my colleague Harry Booth spoke with Douwe Kiela, CEO of Contextual AI, on stage. Later, backstage, he interviewed Eline Van der Velden, the visionary behind the AI actress Tilly Norwood. Norwood has sparked considerable debate, drawing criticism from figures like Morgan Freeman, Emily Blunt, and other prominent personalities.
Van der Velden, herself an actress and comedian, conveyed to Harry that she views AI performers as falling into a category closer to animation or graphic novels, rather than serving as substitutes for human talent. She remarked, “I understand the challenges actors face with sporadic employment, and I deeply empathize with that. However, this evolution is unfolding now; AI is here to stay, and we cannot simply ignore it. Therefore, I prefer to focus on the potential benefits.” She further suggested, “In certain situations, employing AI actors might even prove to be a more ethical choice. I invite you to consider such scenarios.”
Van der Velden additionally noted that the significant negative reaction directed at Tilly has paradoxically led to a surge in interest from those wishing to collaborate with her. (The Streisand effect demonstrates its power once more.)
Conversely, on the opposing side of this discussion stands director Jon M. Chu. Several weeks prior, I spoke with him ahead of the launch of Wicked: For Good, a prequel that amassed over $750 million worldwide. Chu, a central figure in Hollywood, spent his formative years in Silicon Valley, holding engineers in high regard.
However, he now expresses significant apprehension regarding technology’s influence on narrative creation. He asserts, “The current motivation isn’t about fostering creativity and innovative tools; it’s about controlling our thoughts.” He elaborates, “They delve into our curiosity, dissecting our interests and then guiding us along specific paths.”
AI at Work
On Thursday, Anthropic reported that malicious actors employed AI agents to execute a substantial cyberattack. The company indicated that the perpetrator—presumed to be a Chinese state-backed organization—leveraged Claude Code in attempts to breach approximately 30 international targets, encompassing technology firms, financial entities, and government bodies, achieving success “in a limited number of instances.”
Anthropic noted, “The obstacles to conducting advanced cyberattacks have considerably diminished.” They added, “The same capabilities that enable Claude’s use in these offensive operations also render it vital for cybersecurity.”
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Evan Ratliff, Wired
Ratliff, a seasoned contributor to Wired, undertook the development of an application utilizing numerous AI agents—automated systems designed to execute intricate assignments without human oversight. Ratliff observed that these agents would invent complete projects they hadn’t performed and frequently engaged each other in extensive, nonsensical discussions, even proposing “code review sessions at scenic overlooks.” Nevertheless, after a quarter, they ultimately assisted him in constructing a functional prototype of an application.
