"Computers are wonderful at following instructions, but they're terrible at improvisation," Nicholas Carr wrote on yesterday's op-ed page of The New York Times.

But perhaps Carr hasn't read the rap lyrics generated by an algorithm at the University of Aalto in Finland. As Technology Review explains, the DeepBeat algorithm is so good at analyzing rap lyrics, its self-produced rhymes can rival those of Eminem.

Here's how: Eric Malmi and colleagues at the university trained DeepBeat by feeding it a database of over 100,000 songs by more than 100 artists. Spotting assonant rhymes, or the repetition of similar sounds like the words "lazy" and "maybe," was as simple as ignoring consonant sounds and spaces, while ranking the complexity of lyrics required identifying sequences of matching vowels in the previous two lines. Rhyming density, or the average of all the longest sequences in the lyrics, helped the researchers compare DeepBeat's raps to those of real rappers.

To test DeepBeat's knowledge, it analyzed a sequence of lines from a rap lyric, then chose the next line from a list of randomly chosen lines from other songs, as well as the actual line. DeepBeat aced the test with 82 percent accuracy, suggesting it could generate lyrics on its own.

When the moment arrived, Malmi had DeepBeat start a line from one rap lyric, then search through its database for another line on the same topic. The results were impressive, to say the least:

For a chance at romance I would love to enhance
But everything I love has turned to a tedious task
One day we gonna have to leave our love in the past
I love my fans but no one ever puts a grasp
I love you momma I love my momma – I love you momma
And I would love to have a thing like you on my team you take care
I love it when it's sunny Sonny girl you could be my Cher
I'm in a love affair I can't share it ain't fair
Haha I'm just playin' ladies you know I love you.
I know my love is true and I know you love me too
Girl I'm down for whatever cause my love is true
This one goes to my man old dirty one love we be swigging brew
My brother I love you Be encouraged man And just know
When you done let me know cause my love make you be like WHOA
If I can't do it for the love then do it I won't
All I know is I love you too much to walk away though

And it's enough to make one wonder what Carr was talking about. Computers may always be limited by their programming, and human infallibility is a fact of life (and machines). But to assert that machines can only go so far not only underestimates their creators but what we know of ourselves. Or as DeepBeats would say, "When I'm on the mic it's like a cookie, they all crumble."

Headshot of Jill Krasny
Jill Krasny
Senior Writer
Jill Krasny is a senior writer for Esquire where she covers lifestyle, books and general news. Prior to joining Esquire, she wrote for Inc. Magazine and was an editor at TheStreet. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a major in Communication.