No. Fool’s Gold is not entirely AI-generated.

Modern digital and AI-assisted composition tools were used during the production process, but all creative direction comes from [a human] Jules Flesner. The songwriting, themes, and overall artistic vision were developed exclusively under her direction.

Five songs were written by Jules, and four tracks include lyrics adapted from works by other authors, used with authorized permission and credited individually.

You’re listening to human-written songs. The lyrics, stories, emotions, and occasional life advice tucked into each track all come directly from lived experience and human imagination.

The vocals were produced using various digital voice models trained from recordings of my raw voice. The lyrics, the performance, and the direction are all mine, but the “person” you hear singing isn’t a real person. In a similar way, I spent months “directing” a digital band on how and what instruments to play.

Ironically, no other humans were involved in the recording process, which is part of the joke behind the album title.

No. In 2025, I paused my career in financial technology software and decided to revisit the collection of song ideas that had been living in my head (and various MacBooks) for decades. Recording an entire album the traditional way was out of reach for me financially, so instead I turned to modern composition software I already had on my computer to shape the songs that became Fool’s Gold.

I brought each track to life drawing on years of music theory training through piano, along with guitar and vocal lessons, inherent songwriting instincts, and a professional background in creative writing.

While live music performances aren’t my goal, I do hope to make a positive impact in the responsible commercial use of AI and automated software, and to use my (raw!) voice to advocate for diversity in STEM careers.