AI-generated music is making its way to playlists world-over, to mixed-results from its listeners. Suno, the AI music generator, has crossed 100 million monthly users, while in India, Soundverse is the engine behind songs racking up views across social media. Among them is “Chai Ki Tapri,” heard on India’s Got Latent – a track entirely AI-generated – and sitting at over 500 million views across platforms.
The tech is here to stay. According to Sourabh Pateriya, CEO of Soundverse and a musician himself, AI helps democratise the music creation process. “I think the biggest value I see is that anyone who has a creative vision should be able to bring it to life with ease. They shouldn’t be lost in the execution process,” he said.
But, how do music artists who have existed before it adapt? Billboard India asks artists who built a successful career before the internet, and the ones who have never known a world without it, whether they use AI in their work.
Sonu Nigam: Are we aiming for mediocrity or excellence?
“AI is supposed to be used as your assistant, not as your boss. Today, we can make songs. In 20 seconds, you can make a song on an app called Suno. You say, ‘Make me a song,’ and it makes one. So music-making has become very easy. But what are we aiming at? Mediocrity? Or excellence?”
Anuv Jain: It hasn’t touched my work
“[AI] really hasn’t [touched my work]. I just use ChatGPT for basic things. Whenever I want to know the meaning of a word, I put it into Google or ChatGPT to see what it means, and whether I’m using it right. Beyond that, not much. Sometimes, when I’m working on scripts, I use it to help phrase something. Otherwise, not really.”
Jasleen Royal: I use AI for videos
“Not for my work yet, but I do [laughs] use it for therapy and late-night talking, so that I stay sane and be creative the next day. And of course, you use AI for videos. We used something for my latest video, “Koi Nam,” where I’m going underwater. We used AI for a scene or two, not the rest of it. I have used AI to check agreements, like NDAs or rent agreements, and to ideate for my live shows, but not for my work.”
Sai Abhyankkar: I don’t like it
“We’re still assessing it, seeing how comfortable it is to work with AI. But it’s never close to something an artist can come and bring to a song. Personally, I don’t like it. I’m not liking it on songs at all. I would say it’s good, but I would prefer to go with [what I do].”
Jonita: It is very limiting
“I think just the basic concept of not knowing what’s real is at the crux of it for me. I’m not really scared of AI tools, it’s just scary when someone’s showing you something posing as something it’s not, and you’re being led to believe something [that’s not the truth.]
A lot of times, they’ll sample someone’s voice, and sometimes it’s really accurate and sometimes it’s not. I think it’s cool that they have an idea they can try out, of who they want for the song, before calling ten people and finding it doesn’t sound like what they wanted. But it’s very limiting. AI can only mimic the work you’ve done so far, and there’s so much more to give, for all of us. So the potential part of it isn’t being captured… and that part’s not so great.”
Ilaiyaraaja: It is all fake
“You already have AI in your mind. Is there anything you have learnt on your own? Through someone, through our reading, our teaching… through [these things], we know things. All human beings. Our whole knowledge is [our] AI. There is no AI. That was also found out by human beings only. Can one AI create another AI? [It’s all] fake.”
Watch the full interviews on Billboard India’s YouTube channel.
