I called Soulja Boy’s new AI voice clone and had an uncanny chat

Rapper Soulja Boy has launched an AI voice clone of himself, built in partnership with conversational AI startup Bland AI. By publicizing a dedicated phone number, he enables fans to call and have real-time conversations with an AI agent that speaks in a near-perfect replica of his voice and cadence. The project serves as both a nostalgic callback to his 2009 hit "Kiss Me Thru The Phone" and a technical showcase for Bland AI's platform, which is typically used to create business phone agents for customer service and scheduling. This move positions Soulja Boy, who has historically embraced new tech early, as one of the first celebrities to directly offer an interactive AI voice experience to the public.

The technical backbone comes from Bland AI, a startup specializing in generating realistic, fluid conversational agents over the phone. The AI clone can discuss a range of topics, from the business potential of voice automation to thoughts on innovation, though it reportedly often steers conversation back to commercial applications. This experiment highlights the accelerating convergence of entertainment and enterprise AI, as the same underlying voice cloning and large language model technology used for corporate call centers is now being repurposed for celebrity fan engagement. It signals a potential future where AI voices become a standard tool for artist accessibility, potentially reshaping parasocial relationships and opening new revenue streams in the music and entertainment industries.