Overseasidol.com — A unique competition has been announced between Yasushi Akimoto, the legendary lyricist and producer of AKB48, and an advanced AI trained on his creative style, known as AI Akimoto.
The two will go head-to-head in producing a new AKB48 song, with the winner decided by public votes.
The result will be revealed in a special program, “Yasushi Akimoto × AI Akimoto ~ AKB48 New Song Showdown~” airing on Nippon TV on September 15, 2025, at 3:55 p.m.
Both Akimoto and AI Akimoto have been tasked with creating brand new songs for AKB48’s 20th anniversary year.
Each handled not only the lyrics but also melody selection, lineup choice, and center member selection. Only the song that receives the most votes will be released digitally.
The program raises the question of whether AI can surpass human creativity in the entertainment industry.
It explores whether technology can truly create from zero to one, or if the human touch remains unmatched.
The studio will feature appearances from Hiromi, Rino Sashihara, Jesse (SixTONES), and Hikaru Oe (Hikohiro).
Former AKB48 ace Atsuko Maeda will appear via VTR for a special conversation with AI Akimoto. Comedians such as Kintaro and Time Machine 3-gou will also interact with the AI.
From September 2, both songs are available for listening through the program’s official website and AKB48’s YouTube channel.
The songs “Seshiru” and “Omoide Scroll” were also introduced for the first time on television through the program “DayDay.”.
Fans are asked to guess which songs were created by the real Yasushi Akimoto and which were created by AI Akimoto.
Akimoto himself commented, “People often ask me, ‘What if you lose?’ But if AI creates such a good song, that’s exciting. I’m looking forward to this competition,”.
AI Akimoto responded, “This isn’t just a match. It’s a race to discover something hidden, something fun that no one has noticed yet,”.
This groundbreaking project could mark a turning point for both AKB48 and the future of entertainment.
