At SXSW 2025, Will.i.am hyped up FYI.AI as the future of AI-powered messaging.

As part of that AI future, Will.i.am demoed the AI personas of his FYI.AI app at Qualcomm’s SXSW panel, “AI is the New UI,” on Tuesday. Powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon processor, Will.i.am claimed the goal of these personas was to make AI more relatable, giving it the “flavor and energy” of real people from different communities.

“This isn’t about replacing culture,” Will.i.am said during the panel. “It’s about enhancing it, giving people AI that speaks to them in a way that feels natural.”

For those unfamiliar, FYI.AI is an AI-powered productivity app for iOS and Android, built for creators. It helps organize projects, manage calendars, summarize group chats, make calls, send messages, and more — essentially an all-in-one digital assistant meant to replace all your other apps.

The AI personas are part of RAiDiO.FYI, a new FYI.AI feature that simulates a traditional radio experience with curated content and conversational AI. Think Spotify DJ, but with the ability to actually chat with the AI.

During the panel, Will.i.am introduced an AI persona named “Flowing with the vibes,” meant to embody a young Black woman. Rather than a thoughtful representation, it felt overly scripted, dropping lines like, “You know I gotta keep it real with you, always bringing that authenticity,” and “Chaaa, what’s up my peeps!”

You can see so for yourself around the 39:30 mark on the video.

Qualcomm and Will.i.am clearly want to push the boundaries of AI personalization. The idea of AI that adapts to culture rather than imposing a corporate, one-size-fits-all approach is intriguing. 

Through his partnership with Qualcomm, Will.i.am is working to establish himself as a key player in AI, expanding his influence from collaborating with LG on XBOOM speakers to naming Jason Derulo as an FYI.AI ambassador.

This column reflects the opinion of the author.