Technology never fails to amaze us and if you’ve been paying attention to AI and what people are doing with it for fun at the moment, you might have seen people asking it what cities will look like in the future — naturally, Manchester is one of them.
While there are obviously endless different uses for artifical intelligence, not to mention multiple different automated programmes that can create these kind of automated impressions of the future, the People’s Postcode Lottery chose the ‘Midjourney’ AI tool to create theirs.
The lottery company and UK charity asked the AI system to re-imagine the city centre in 100 years time and, we’ll tell you now, the Manchester of the future is looking pretty cool.
Here’s what it reckons Oxford Road and what we can only guess is a generic street in town will look like in the year 2123:
This one has a hint of Albert Square about it.The uni’s ‘Tin Can’ is looking more ‘Chrome Dome’The Manchester of the future — according to AI, at least. (Credit: Midjourney)
Like any of these programmes, Midjourney harvests existing data and images surrounding Manchester and what the city centre looks like at present when calculating how it could be transformed in the years to come — it certainly looks like it got the rain-soaked streets right in the left image, anyway.
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Commenting on the AI images and the potential the city already has, Chris Lawson — Managing Director and Senior Designer at CK Architectural — said: “With a good vertical emphasis, [Manchester] can add retail space, a great outlook for the future, and not rely on larger floor areas.
“Introducing a section of greenery could give a level of decarbonisation and biodiversity too. This is something that I am a firm believer will have to lead future architecture in cityscapes just like this one, so I do understand the AI inspiration here. Within the Oxford Road image, the elongated glass and mirrored structures do feel like a step into the future.
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“The curved mirrors would help bring sunlight and energy to typically shaded places in cities… This is of course not to forget reflecting and enhancing the exciting historic buildings that make the fabric of this city. Creating a solid harmony of modern and traditional architecture will be the future of most major UK cities.” All that being said, Piccadilly Gardens seems like a bit of a stretch.
It’s fair to say Piccadilly Gardens is quite a ways off looking like this…
Obviously, it goes without saying that there isn’t much substance to these images beyond how much stock you put in AI and it’s creative capacities, but you have to admit the architectural imagery it has come up with seems fairly plausible.
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen technology and art come together to give us an idea of the what our city might look like in years to come, of course, with a digital artist doing something similar with Adobe earlier this year.
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In fact, even looking at how the Manchester skyline has developed over the years is something we find mind-blowing enough, and if there ever-growing sea of cranes and soon-to-be-skyscrapers is anything to go by, some parts of town could look unrecognisable in the next few years.
AJ Tracey is playing a VERY intimate gig in Manchester next month
Thomas Melia
London rapper and respected grime artist AJ Tracey is ‘live and direct’ once again, announcing a whole host of UK dates, one of which is a rather intimate gig right here in Manchester.
It’s official: one of UK rap’s leading gents is getting back on the road and he’s showing a ‘Little More Love’ to lots of cities, including Manchester.
In a post on the UK star’s socials, AJ Tracey trades his music persona for that of a sports pundit as he announces the dates for his upcoming tour while impersonating an F1 commentator.
Anyone looking to attend Tracey’s ‘Not Even A Tour’ can catch the star up and down the country on his over 20-date tour with a stop in Manchester as soon as this month.
The rapper has reached phenomenal heights since dropping the unforgettable ‘Ladbroke Grove’ in 2019 and is heading out across the nation to make sure everyone knows about it.
Get ready to spit bars left and right as this rapper’s discography is stacked with serious tunes like ‘Dinner Guest’, ‘West Ten’, ‘Thiago Silva’ and more.
More recently, he collaborated with Walsall’s finest Jorja Smith for a flirty garage beat also known as ‘Crush’ with the video being the two artists talking it out in a good old fashioned caff.
The latest collaboration with Smith marks the start of a new era for Mr. Live and direct as it fell in line with the announcement of his third studio album.
Titled Don’t Die Before You’re Dead, we’re sure he’ll be “building a vibe” wherever he goes and probably previewing a few exclusive tracks from his upcoming project too.
This gig may come as quite a surprise for any hardcore fans of the ‘Ladbroke Grove’ star as the venue in which he’s performing is definitely intimate only, holding just over 250 guests.
This rap giant is bringing his unbelievable beats to none other than the legendary small-cap city centre live music venue, The Deaf Institute, at the end of this month.
It’s safe to say you won’t get many more chances, if any, to see him in such a tight-knit space again.
AJ Tracey is bringing ‘Not Even A Tour’ to Deaf Institute in Manchester on 30 April, with tickets on sale Friday 4 April from 12 noon.
Manchester City’s Nathan Aké donates piano to grassroots music venue
Thomas Melia
Footballer and Manchester City star Nathan Aké has donated a piano to an iconic city centre grassroots venue in Manchester.
To celebrate ‘International Piano Day’, the Dutch defender has teamed up with legendary instrument-makers Casio by donating a state-of-the-art piano in one very lucky music venue.
Aké and Casio are donating pianos across the UK through their joint project titled ‘Playing For Change’.
The iconic grassroots venue that’s receiving this prestigious instrument is none other than Band on the Wall, which has been pumping out live music under this name since 1975.
Processed with VSCO with kp5 presetProcessed with VSCO with kp5 presetCredit: Supplied
This new addition will help the venue as a whole, but more importantly, it will come in very handy for their Saturday Music Club.
Running every weekend, this session helps young people discover music and develop their skills, now via the fantastic PX-S7000 Casio piano.
Band on the Wall is a much-loved and adored Manchester city centremusic institution, and they aren’t the only place benefitting from the Manchester city star and Casio.
So far, 12 disadvantaged schools in the UK have benefitted from this joint effort from Aké and Casio, all of which were surprised with their very own digital piano.
This newest partnership won’t come as a surprise to fans of the Man City centre-back, as he’s been known to play the piano since teaching himself in 2020, and now he’s spreading his love of music to communities nationwide.
Neil Evans, Head of Casio EMI, commented:“It’s exciting for us to support Band on the Wall with a gift of a brand new Privia piano.”
“We’re hoping it’s used often and inspires people into learning the piano and increasing their access to the joys of music, which is at the core of Playing For Change.”
As for Aké, while he might be sidelined for the foreseeable following surgery on a fractured foot, the Netherlands international will hopefully be able to get lots of practice playing those keys.
Danny Jones -
24th September 2023 
