Young and Profiting with Hala Taha
Episode Title: will.i.am: How AI Is Powering a New Era of Creativity | Artificial Intelligence | YAPClassic
Release Date: November 21, 2025
Episode Overview
In this YAPClassic episode, Hala Taha sits down with will.i.am—musician, entrepreneur, technologist, and founder of FYI (an AI-powered collaboration platform). Best known as a seven-time Grammy Award-winning musician (Black Eyed Peas), will.i.am shares his journey from the projects of East LA to shaping the future of creativity and technology. The conversation brings together his insights on entrepreneurship, creativity, the transformative power of AI, and the importance of diversity and inclusion in tech. The episode is an inspiring deep-dive into how will.i.am leverages imagination, grit, and futuristic thinking to empower creators and underserved communities.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. will.i.am’s Early Life: The Power of Imagination and Diversity
-
Formative Experiences:
- Grew up in an all-Mexican neighborhood, attended a predominantly white, affluent school, and went to a Black church. This exposure to diverse backgrounds taught him that "authenticity, creativity, imagination" were his real currencies, valuable in any environment. (04:16-05:19)
- “No matter which pocket I was rocking in... the creativity and the imagination, that was my currency. That’s what separated me from the herds. I loved being in that diverse mix.”
— will.i.am [04:16]
-
Early Music Journey:
- Discovered his passion for music at 9, began writing songs at 13, and landed a record deal at 17—an achievement widely celebrated by friends and community. (05:26-06:35)
-
On Rising to Fame:
- Will attributes his success not to luck, but to relentless creativity, networking, focus, and building a supportive environment that allowed him to pursue dreams instead of settling for just a job.
- “A door's closed, you design a new door... Creativity is your currency.” [07:00]
- Will attributes his success not to luck, but to relentless creativity, networking, focus, and building a supportive environment that allowed him to pursue dreams instead of settling for just a job.
2. Black Eyed Peas, Mass Appeal, and the Journey Beyond ‘Underground’
- Striving for Expansion:
- Will emphasizes always reaching for new audiences and refusing to settle for underground popularity, aiming for global mass appeal—reflected in their song lyrics and international tours.
- “That whole mentality of, like, staying on this, like, conscious path to reach as many people as possible has always been our mission from the jump.” [11:10]
3. Entrepreneurship, Futurism, and Creativity
-
Futurist Mindset:
- Will self-identifies as a futurist, building possible paths out of challenging circumstances through “plausible future casting”—applying intuition, imagination, and concrete strategy to problem-solving.
- “I was a futurist when I was in the projects because to get out the projects, you have to have a future mindset.” [14:24]
- Will self-identifies as a futurist, building possible paths out of challenging circumstances through “plausible future casting”—applying intuition, imagination, and concrete strategy to problem-solving.
-
Investing and Creating:
- Early investor in platforms like Twitter, Pinterest, and Tesla.
- Highlights entrepreneurship as the peak of creativity: “That, to me, is the most creative type of workshopping in the whole world of creativity. Doing that.” [14:24]
-
Futuristic Feats:
- Collaboration with NASA to play music on Mars as inspiration for inner-city students. Started robotics and computer science programs now serving over 13,000 students in LA. (17:35-19:50)
4. AI: From Early Interest to Leading Innovation
-
Long-Term Involvement:
- First encountered AI in 2005 at MIT; has been investing and building AI solutions for over a decade.
- Built an AI-powered smartwatch with conversational voice OS in 2013 and invested in companies like DeepMind and others early on.
- “Ever since then I just been investing in AI teams, solutions, invested in a bunch of the... companies that are popular today.” [23:26]
-
AI as a New Renaissance:
- AI is set to power a new creative era—one that can democratize tools, empower small teams, and enable underserved communities to solve their own problems.
- “A team of four now has the power of a team of 200... these small speedboats that can also pull megatons.” [39:04]
5. FYI: Reimagining Creative Collaboration
-
COVID-19 Sparked Innovation:
- The pain points (“my conversations are all over the place... this shit is all over the place”) of remote collaboration led will.i.am to create FYI—an all-in-one, AI-powered creative messaging platform. (29:38-38:32)
-
FYI Features:
- Secure large file sharing, privacy-focused, integrates generative AI, tailored for creators—musicians, podcasters, YouTubers, students, and more.
- Will insistes it’s available for free on iOS and Android, expanding soon.
- “It’s a collaboration networking communication tool for this era, for this age, for this new renaissance.” [38:41]
-
On Small Teams:
- Inspired by teams like Midjourney’s—small, lean, but highly impactful startups.
- “Startups can do amazing things with awesome talent... these small speedboats that can pull megatons.” [39:04]
- Inspired by teams like Midjourney’s—small, lean, but highly impactful startups.
6. AI, Creativity & The Future of Work
-
The Algorithmic Trap:
- Music is shifting to be “hypersensitive to TikTok algorithms,” reducing creativity. AIs will soon outpace humans in algorithm-driven content creation, but this will also drive a renewed hunger for “organic, human-made music.” [47:15]
-
Creativity as Currency:
- AI will push human creativity further, not eliminate it; the need for authentic, raw, emotional expression remains fundamental.
- “I need to do yoga and I cannot pass off certain tasks to an AI when I need to do that for my own spiritual physical growth. Creating is one of those fucking things.” [47:15]
- AI will push human creativity further, not eliminate it; the need for authentic, raw, emotional expression remains fundamental.
-
Tech Disruption & Inclusion:
- Notes that while jobs always shift with industrial revolutions, AI’s real promise is giving ignored communities access to tools to solve their own problems—“they are tomorrow's entrepreneurs and trailblazers.” [43:06]
7. The Ethics of AI and Advocacy for Diversity
-
AI Fears and Philosophy:
- Will is optimistic—“Bears are stronger than us, lions are stronger than us... that hasn’t changed how we love.” [53:13]
- If AI pushes humanity to evolve into more loving, empathetic beings, “then ring the alarm. Let's go.” [53:13]
-
World Economic Forum & Algorithmic Bias:
- Will participates in WEF working groups to flag risks of algorithmic bias and data inequality; stresses the need for inclusion, diversity, and algorithmic fairness to avoid duplicating the “inhumane practices” of the past. [55:55]
8. Philanthropy & Paying It Forward
- The I Am Angel Foundation:
- Runs large-scale stem education and robotics programs in underserved communities.
- Encourages all to help: spread the word, donate (iamangelfoundation.org), or directly bring robotics programs to schools. [63:26]
- “Spread the word... donate... find a school, buy a First Robotics kit... and see how you’re going to play a part.” [63:26]
9. Advice for Young Entrepreneurs
-
Manifestation Squad:
- Success begins with having a solid, supportive team to help you manifest ideas; “profitable is a result of your manifestation.” [60:05]
-
Profiting in Life:
- Move beyond profit for profit’s sake; be of service and contribute to a better, more inclusive world. “To prophesize, to be of service, to help. That’s what prophets do.” [61:51]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On Creativity as Currency:
- “Creativity and the imagination, that was my currency. That’s what separated me from the herds.” — will.i.am [04:16]
-
On Opportunity:
- “A door’s closed, you design a new door.” — will.i.am [07:00]
-
On Staying Underground vs. Going Global:
- “Who said I want to stay underground?” — will.i.am [11:10]
-
On Building the Future:
- “I was a futurist when I was in the projects.” — will.i.am [14:24]
-
On AI and Small Teams:
- “A team of four now has the power of a team of 200.” — will.i.am [39:04]
-
On AI and Human Expression:
- “I need to do yoga and I cannot pass off certain tasks to an AI… Creating is one of those fucking things.” — will.i.am [47:15]
-
On Purposeful Entrepreneurship:
- “Purposeful, inclusive, where you profit and other folks benefit from your success as well, or other communities benefit from your success as well.” — will.i.am [60:05]
Key Timestamps
- 04:16 — The value of creativity and authenticity from will.i.am’s diverse upbringing.
- 07:00 — "Design a new door": On creating opportunity.
- 11:10 — On expansion, outreach, and the Black Eyed Peas’ global vision.
- 14:24 — Defining “futurism” and future-casting out of adversity.
- 17:35 — Sending music to Mars & starting robotics in LA schools.
- 23:26 — Early AI exposure and product innovation.
- 29:38 — COVID’s impact on creative collaboration and the genesis of FYI.
- 39:04 — Small teams & the modern renaissance (Midjourney inspiration).
- 47:15 — The AI-content arms race, TikTok, and the rise of “organic” music.
- 53:13 — Will.i.am’s optimism on AI, humanity, and love.
- 55:55 — Fighting algorithmic bias and advocating for diversity at WEF.
- 60:05 — “Build your manifestation network” — core advice for entrepreneurs.
- 61:51 — The secret to profiting in life: be of service and a "prophet."
- 63:26 — How to support the I Am Angel Foundation.
Where to Find More
- FYI Collaboration Tool: Download on iOS or Android; more info at [FYI.ai].
- I Am Angel Foundation: Donate or get involved via [iamangelfoundation.org].
Tone:
Motivational, future-focused, candid, and passionate—reflecting will.i.am’s entrepreneurial drive, optimism, and commitment to creativity and social change.