Popular Japanese group First to Launch AI-assisted Single Chosen by Public Vote

Tokyo, Japan — Japanese idol group AKB48 has released a new single, Omoide Scroll, created with significant input from artificial intelligence, following a high-profile fan vote in a televised competition. The AI-generated track narrowly beat a song written by veteran producer Yasushi Akimoto, marking what many see as a landmark moment in the fusion of J-Pop and AI-assisted creativity.

• As part of AKB48’s 20th anniversary celebrations, a special contest called Yasushi Akimoto × AI Akimoto ~ AKB48 New Song Showdown was held.

• The contest pitted two songs against each other:

  1. Cécile, written by Yasushi Akimoto in his characteristic style — a more classic approach.

  2. Omoide Scroll, produced by “AI Akimoto” — an AI system trained on Akimoto’s lyrics, vocabulary, previous style, etc.

• Both songs included full preparations: lyrics, melody (though there is some ambiguity over how much of the melody was AI-generated versus crafted/adapted by humans), arrangement, plus selection of which AKB48 members would perform them.

• Fans were asked to vote between the two tracks without knowing (blind) which was the human work and which was AI.

Results & Reaction

• After five days of voting, Omoide Scroll defeated Cécile by 14,225 votes to 10,535 votes, i.e. a margin of roughly 3,690 votes.

• Yasushi Akimoto was visibly surprised on live TV when the AI track was declared the winner, exclaiming, “What? You’re kidding me!” when the results were revealed.

• Though he expressed disappointment, Akimoto later acknowledged that Omoide Scroll was a good song.

The Songs

• Cécile: The human-written entry by Akimoto. Reportedly has Motown stylistic influences, with lyrics about admiration (of one friend for another). Performed by Kuranoo Narumi, AKB48’s current leader.

• Omoide Scroll: The AI-assisted track. It features lighter techno elements in its backing, group chorus, and lyrics reflecting heartbreak in the smartphone era. It was assigned to be performed by a newer member, Ito Momoka.

This event is being seen as a test case for how AI might become more integrated in pop music creation — from lyrics and melody to member assignment and even choreography. Key implications include:

• Authorial identity and creativity: What does it mean for a producer, lyricist or composer if an AI trained on their style can imitate or even outperform newer work?

• Audience preference when “blind”: Fans chose the AI-assisted song over a known human creator’s work when the origin was hidden, suggesting listeners’ preferences may shift when evaluating solely on content rather than name.

• Industry implications: As AI tools become more capable, there may be more competition between pure human artistry and hybrid or AI-augmented creation. How the industry handles credit, transparency, and compensation remains to be seen.

What’s Next

• Omoide Scroll has been released as AKB48’s 67th official single, and is now available via streaming services.

• Cécile has reportedly been removed from YouTube since the contest.

• There is widespread interest in how this will influence future AKB48 singles — whether they will continue incorporating AI components. Also, whether it affects their performance on charts, given that their previous 53 singles (prior to this) had reached number one on Japan’s Oricon chart.

The competition shows that AI is no longer just an experimental tool in music but is capable of competing in public taste tests. While AI-assisted work still involves human oversight (for arrangement, production, performance, etc.), this instance is a strong signal that AI can play a meaningful creative role — even in highly commercial, identity-driven contexts like pop culture.