With the recent developments in artificial intelligence, there is abundant rhetoric about AI making human creativity obsolete. So we set out to challenge that paradigm with a provocation: Can AI be a tool that sparks originality and provides inspiration, while still leaving the ultimate craft and ownership in the hands of creatives?

TextFX is a suite of AI-powered tools for rappers, writers, and wordsmiths. These tools were created in collaboration with MIT Visiting Scholar and GRAMMY Award-winning rapper Lupe Fiasco, drawing inspiration from the lyrical and linguistic techniques he has developed throughout his career. TextFX consists of 10 tools, each designed to explore creative possibilities with text and language.

There’s a range of tools in TextFX. Some borrow from the canon of traditional literary devices - such as SIMILE, which generates an evocative simile about a given topic or concept. But many of the other tools draw from the lyrical and linguistic techniques Lupe has developed throughout his 20-year career. For example:

• EXPLODE - Playfully dissect the phonetics of a given word.

• POV - Evaluate a given topic through different perspectives.

• SCENE - Generate sensory details that relate to a given scene.

. . . and many others!

We designed these tools over a 6 month period to be accessible for writers of all domains and skill sets out-of-the-box. They require no prior knowledge nor experience with AI, further democratizing the process of AI-assisted creation.

TextFX has been influential in shaping conversations around useful UX for AI and AI as tools for creatives.

• Led to creation of Labs Sessions platform, an ongoing effort to collaborate with external partners

• Featured in Webby’s 2024 Trend Report

• Generated Organic UGC: Being shared and used across social platforms including Viral Tik Toks

• Invited to present and speak at various conferences & festivals including HiiiWAV Afro AI Demo Day with a fireside chat with Lupe Fiasco, and the Amsterdam Dance Event Pro Conference to showcase how AI can augment imagination.