Splice CEO Kakul Srivastava Believes AI Emails Are Harming Communication
Kakul Srivastava is the CEO of Splice, a go-to platform for producers seeking one-shots and melodic loops. Samples from Splice have made their way into chart-topping tracks like Lisa’s “Money” and Sabrina Carpenter’s “Espresso.”
Before her time at Splice, Kakul held key positions at various tech companies, including Flickr, Yahoo, GitHub, and Adobe. Her career has been a blend of technology and creativity, a synergy that has flourished at Splice. Under her leadership, the platform has not only expanded by acquiring Spitfire Audio but has also ventured into the realm of generative AI.
Last year, she voiced her concerns on a podcast about the dangers of “push-button, get-song” AI, a sentiment that still resonates with her. Splice aims to create AI tools that prioritize human creativity, and Kakul believes in maintaining that human touch in all communications, steering clear of AI-generated content.
What is your most indispensable tool?
A well-crafted document and a genuine discussion about it. Since Splice operates remotely, we lack a physical hallway for casual chats. Instead, we have people who sit down to think things through, followed by lively debates. Most of our best ideas have emerged from this process.
That’s why I’m cautious about AI-generated documents. If you can’t tell if a person wrote the words, the conversation shifts, and not for the better. You can’t revert to the original dynamic, and I believe the same applies to music.
What is your happy place online?
Instagram, which might not be the trendiest choice. My feed is filled with people creating music in ways I never imagined. There’s gothic western music, a woman in Russia organizing street dance, a guy playing modern hits on a hammered dulcimer, and an Indian chai-wala rapping. I could watch it all day.
What game do you have the fondest memories of?
Antakshari. It’s an Indian game where you sing a part of a song, and the next person must start their song with the last letter of your line. It’s perfect for long car rides, weddings, or any time a group is stuck together.
I love that the game revolves around music, and none of the players need to be musicians. You just have to remember songs and be brave enough to sing in front of family, which is often the hardest part. Watching people’s expressions soften when a song resonates—regardless of how well it’s sung—shows the true power of music.
What’s the most disappointing gadget you’ve owned?
A cup warmer. It warms the cup but not the coffee. Just to clarify, it works exactly as intended.
What creation are you most proud of?
I have to say my kids. Witnessing a person grow from nothing into a fully formed individual with their own opinions is the most incredible experience. It’s happening in every home on the street, and we all just observe it unfold as we go about our lives.
Which are you least proud of?
I was part of the early team at Tiny Speck, which later became Slack. Before Slack, we developed a game called Glitch—a massively multiplayer open world—and it was one of the most beautiful projects I’ve ever worked on. The art, sound, writing, and the world itself were stunning, created by some of the most talented people I’ve known.
Unfortunately, it failed due to obvious issues. It was built on Flash, which Adobe had stopped supporting, and it was a PC game just as the world was shifting to mobile gaming. We missed two major trends, and I feel like I let down the creativity of those who contributed to something so beautiful.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Say your point first, then back it up. Don’t lay out all your evidence hoping to earn the right to make your argument. People aren’t listening to the evidence yet; they want to hear if you believe what you’re saying. The confidence in your delivery creates space for the explanation.
What is your current obsession?
Cooking my mother’s recipes. She passed away before I could learn most of them, so I’ve been piecing them together from YouTube videos—strangers in their kitchens recreating dishes the way their mothers did. It takes many attempts, but I finally nailed one last year, and the taste transported me back to being eight years old with my mom.
This is what I think about when people ask what technology is for. A stranger uploaded a video of their family recipe and helped me reconnect with my mother’s cooking. They’ll never know the impact they had.
What do you think is worth splurging on?
Live jazz. There’s nothing quite like being in a room where musicians are making real-time decisions that can’t be undone. I travel a lot for work, and if I can catch a show in whatever city I’m in, I’ll make it happen, even if it means I’m exhausted the next day.
What would the tagline for your biopic be?
A heist movie where nothing gets stolen and everyone gets paid.
What’s the last GIF or meme you used?
