{
  "id": 12411880,
  "title": "Scrimshaw Jukebox",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/06/scrimshaw-jukebox",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-06T15:17:39.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Simon Willison",
    "slug": "simon-willison",
    "url": "https://simonwillison.net/2026/Oct/6/scrimshaw-jukebox/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a surprising turn of events, Claude Opus 5.5 demonstrated its ability to compose music tailored for computer games. The reporter, eager to test this capability, posed the question: \"Can you write some computer game music for me?\" The AI responded with a simple text-based format for music, creating an artifact capable of playing the generated tracks.\n\nThe outcome was music of high quality, reminiscent of the original Secret of Monkey Island. However, the AI took a bolder approach, delving deeper into the theme than initially intended. This unexpected development piqued the reporter's curiosity. Was this newfound ability to compose competent music akin to the recent advancements in 3D graphics capabilities?\n\nTo confirm, the reporter proposed a series of experiments with both recent and older models. The source states that this development, a beat by Simon Willison, occurred on the 6th of October, 2026. For those interested in staying updated on the most important developments in large language models, the reporter invites sponsorship for $10/month, promising a curated email digest of the month's developments.",
  "summary": "Tool: Scrimshaw Jukebox I wanted to see if Claude Opus 5.5 could compose music, so I tried this : I want you to write some computer game music for me. First design simple text based format for the music and build an artifact that can play it out loud - include some example tracks in that artifact I am looking for music of the quality of the original secret of Monkey Island It leaned a lot harder…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}