Are Robots Going To Replace Human DJs?

Just a bit of Friday fun folks, we’re not being serious! However, the video we’ve got for you today is well timed, arriving as it does right after our “serious” article yesterday about how computers are increasingly automating DJing.

“Man and machine,” said DJ CNTRL in yesterday’s piece, quoting futurist Ray Kurzweil, “will merge by 2045.” But by today’s this evidence, it’s happening right now… 😉

The robot in this video answers to the name of DJ XSteel, and is the nocturnal alter ego of Digital DJ Tips reader and DJ, G Ford from Romania.

“The costume is from Costumize, and I have an iPad on my chest,” he tells us.

“I’m still perfecting the project, but seeing as deadmau5 and Daft Punk perform with helmets, I thought, why not bring this to the next level? I can also MC in real time using a robot voice generator…”

DJ XSteel is looking for bookings further afield than his home country, admitting: “It’s hard especially being here in Romania, where people still live in the past…”

But what we really want to know is: How the hell does he manage to DJ with those gloves on?

Do you think costumed DJs like deadmau5, Daft Punk, XSteel and the like have a place in the world of DJ shows? Let us hear your thoughts in the comments… (we’re only interested in human responses, bots can go post elsewhere…)