Watch a Computer Attempt to Sing 90s Power Ballads—With Feeling

Computers do many things well, but expressing emotion is not one of them. So what happens if you ask one to try and sing a heartfel version of a 90s power ballad?

“What do machines sing of?” is an art project by Martin Backes that “endlessly sings number-one ballads from the 1990s.” There is little not to love about it. He’s created a software system that tries to apply human sentiments to the sounds that the computer swings, and suggests that the “behavior of the device seems to reflect a desire, on the part of the machine, to become sophisticated enough to have its very own personality.” What do you think?

[Vimeo]