One year before the February 2023 article published on Reuters titled: “ChatGPT sets record for fastest-growing user base - analyst note” I posted on Publish0x a piece titled “The Artificial Intelligence Interpretation of a section of my short story - Weakest Link”. In it, I wrote that I was excited about the ability to create art using Artificial Intelligence, specifically, text-to-image tools. Little did I know that two years later, I would be able to create music from The Shenganiguns screenplays and short stories!

I wrote: “I have been working on The Shenganiguns project since 2015. It is a dysfunctional rock band from near-future Kenya, which presents both opportunities and challenges. One challenge is that producers generally like to play it safe. I am well aware that The Shenganiguns project does not fit into the generally accepted boxes of what is "produce-able" and I am prepared for this project to never be "produced" in the conventional sense of the world. However, this does not mean that the project will be sitting on a shelf somewhere gathering dust.” I have been doing my best to keep this project alive but it has not been easy. Life keeps happening, forcing me to push this project to the back burner. However, with artificial intelligence tools, the tide is turning!

In May 2023, Charlotte Van Houtven and Patrick Parfrey wrote an article titled “How Artificial Intelligence is Accelerating Digital Product Development” as an experiment, using ChatGPT: “the product development process can be time-consuming, resource-intensive, and fraught with challenges. This is where Artificial Intelligence (AI) is making significant strides, revolutionizing the way products are researched, designed, engineered, released, and managed.”

I discovered suno.ai in late 2023 and I was immediately captivated and impressed by the results. By mid-January 2024, I had used this tool to keep The Shenganiguns universe alive! One way I have done this is by creating an album of songs whose lyrics are from The Shenganiguns short story, “Office Romance”.

The conclusion of the Houtven and Parfrey experimental article says that: “With the implementation of AI tools, businesses can build products that traditionally take months in just a matter of days and weeks, giving them a competitive edge in the digital landscape.” With suno.ai, I can create songs from my short stories, screenplays and poetry in minutes, ensuring that the creative process keeps happening even as life keeps happening.

As I wrote in February 2022: “It will be great if The Shenganiguns project or parts of it are produced in the traditional sense but meanwhile, I'm going to work and play with Artificial Intelligence tools to keep the dream alive!”