The Beatles are releasing their ‘last’ record. AI helped make it possible

LONDON (AP) — Artificial intelligence has been used to extract John Lennon’s voice from an old demo to create “the last Beatles record,” decades after the band broke up, Paul McCartney said Tuesday.

McCartney, 80, told the BBC that the technology was used to separate the Beatles’ voices from background sounds during the making of director Peter Jackson’s 2021 documentary series, “The Beatles: Get Back.” The “new” song is set to be released later this year, he said.

Jackson was “able to extricate John’s voice from a ropey little bit of cassette and a piano,” McCartney told BBC radio. “He could separate them with AI, he’d tell the machine ‘That’s a voice, this is a guitar, lose the guitar’.”

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“So when we came to make what will be the last Beatles record, it was a demo that John had that we worked on,” he added. “We were able to take John’s voice and get it pure through this AI so then we could mix the record as you would do. It gives you some sort of leeway.”

McCartney didn’t identify the name of the demo, but the BBC and others said it was likely to be an unfinished 1978 love song by Lennon called “Now and Then.” The demo was included on a cassette labeled “For Paul” that McCartney had received from Lennon’s widow, Yoko Ono, the BBC reported.

McCartney described AI technology as “kind of scary but exciting,” adding: “We will just have to see where that leads.”

The same technology enabled McCartney to “duet” virtually with Lennon, who was murdered in 1980, on “I’ve Got a Feeling” last year at Glastonbury Festival.

https://apnews.com/article/beatles-artificial-intelligence-record-paul-mccartney-2dc3d8c818e12b708d4e9409cb7dc856

Ohio representative wants SEC chairman removed

The act would add a sixth commissioner and create an executive director to oversee the agency’s day-to-day operations.

Calling Security and Exchange Chairman Gary Gensler a tyrant, U.S. Rep. Warren Davidson introduced legislation to remove him from the position and restructure the commission.

Davidson, R-Ohio, and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minnestoa, say the SEC Stabilization Act will take corrective action to remove Gensler after what they call a long series of abuses that have occurred under the current SEC structure.

“U.S. capital markets must be protected from a tyrannical chairman, including the current one,” Davidson said. “That’s why I’m introducing legislation to fix the ongoing abuse of power and ensure protection that is in the best interest of the market for years to come. It’s time for real reform and to fire Gary Gensler as chair of the SEC.”

Davidson outlined allegations that ranged from creating two or more rules proposals a month to short comment periods and high staff turnover at a government hearing in April.

The act would add a sixth commissioner and create an executive director to oversee the agency’s day-to-day operations. The commissioners, who have staggered six-year terms, would retain rulemaking, enforcement and investigation authority.

https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/ohio-representative-wants-sec-chairman-removed

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18-year-old trainee shot 3 soldiers at firing range on Japanese army base, killing 2, officials say

TOKYO (AP) — An 18-year-old army trainee shot three fellow soldiers at a firing range on a Japanese army base Wednesday, killing two of them, officials said.

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at the scene in Gifu prefecture in central Japan, police said.

The suspect fired a rifle at other soldiers during a shooting exercise at the Hino Kihon firing range, police said. Among the three wounded is a 25-year-old soldier, police said.

The Ground Self Defense Force, Japan’s army, confirmed that two of those wounded were later pronounced dead at a hospital.

A number of other people were believed to be participating in the training when the shooting occurred, but details are still under investigation, an army official said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

Japan has been known for its safety, with strict gun control laws, but high-profile violence has occurred in recent years, including shootings and random knifings on subways and arson attacks, and there is growing concern about homemade guns and explosives.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was almost hit by a pipe bomb thrown by a suspect at an election campaign venue in April.

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was assassinated in July 2022 by an attacker using a handmade gun.

Last month, a man was arrested after he allegedly shot two police officers to death after killing two women with a knife in Nagano prefecture.

https://apnews.com/article/japan-soldier-shooting-8c474f3c1e36e52843e033d04fdb42e7