Grimes Is Assembling an AI Girl Group

While Grimes hasn't revealed too much, the group's name does appear to be in reference to the gamer shorthand for a non-playable character (which basically encompasses any character that isn't or can't be controlled by a flesh and blood player).

On Instagram, Grimes explained that they pushed the single's release back a week because the visual assets and press photos were still being finalized, writing that "we're stuck on making their faces."

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The artist followed up in another post that "you'll all see why in a month or so, so I apologise abt delays of music and visuals. Gna be catching up on the girls visual development and whatnot – but me and @chrislake just needed to get this song out cuz it's been going so hard at festivals!!!!""

Grimes' fascination with artificial intelligence is nothing new. Having once expressed fears about AI making musicians obsolete, the artist has gone on to embrace the technology's potential and used it to craft a procedurally generated lullaby for her son, X Æ A-XII, and proposed it as the solution to making communism work on TikTok.

It's also fitting that Grimes is set to judge an avatar-based singing competition, called Alter Ego, which will dovetail nicely with the launch of NPC.

Photography: Amber Asaly