The use of artificial intelligence has been blending into many aspects of our daily life. While systems powered by AI are more commonly used for tasks such as data collecting, monitoring and analysing, nowadays they are getting more and more creative and human-like. Icelandic singer/songwriter Björk is famous for her innovative approach in both music and image. The artist has collaborated with Microsoft to create the soundscape for New York boutique hotel Sister City, as presented in the AI-generative music piece, Kórsafn.

Björk has opened up her choir archives written over 17 years for this project, and snippets of these choral arrangements are performed by the renowned Hamrahlid Choir — the Icelandic 50-person choir Björk herself once was a member when she was younger. With the help of AI, the music reacts to sunrise, sunset, flowing of the clouds, the formation of bird migrations and the barometric pressure. As days pass and seasons change, the AI will keep learning and get smarter, and influence the choral arrangements as a result.

Sister City has included a live feed of the roof camera on its website, showing visitors the real-time New York scenery and how Microsoft AI responds to the ever-changing weather and new objects with new choral arrangements.