AI Business

Engram Turns AI Hallucinations Into Music

Engram, a new music instrument from Thoughtful Things, uses AI to create experimental sounds by mangling and hallucinating audio. Unlike other AI music tools, Engram focuses on pushing AI beyond its limits to generate unique, uncanny sounds.

The Verge AI · Sep 27, 2026

What happened

  • Engram is a sampler that turns broken AI hallucinations into music
  • Engram uses AI to mangle incoming audio and even hallucinate completely new sounds
  • Engram is designed to explore AI hallucinations and experimental sound design

Why it matters

Engram represents a new approach to AI music creation, focusing on experimentation and pushing the boundaries of what AI can do. It challenges the notion that AI must produce 'ready-for-top-40' music and instead emphasizes the potential for creative, unconventional sound design.

The Elephant take

🐘 鼋 Engram is a playful take on AI's tendency to hallucinate, turning its quirks into art. It’s not about making music for the masses but exploring the weirdness of AI-generated sounds.

Who should care

  • AI music creators
  • Sound design enthusiasts
  • Tech innovators

What to do next

  1. Explore Engram's Kickstarter campaign for updates
  2. Consider how AI hallucinations can be used creatively in music
  3. Evaluate the privacy implications of local AI models

Keep in mind

Engram's focus on experimental sounds may limit its appeal to mainstream audiences, and its reliance on local AI models could raise privacy concerns.

Read the original reporting at The Verge AI ↗