[Updated: January 31, 2024] One of the five songs in the AR Rahman composed Lal Salaam album is a track titled Thimiri Yezhuda which uses vocals of two deceased playback singers using Aritificial Intelligence (AI). Despite late singer Shahul Hameed and Bamba Bakya being frequent collaborators of AR Rahman, the very fact that the composer had recreated dead people voices using AI had raised a lot of eyebrows.
AR Rahman is a two-time Grammy and Oscar winning musician, and has a BAFTA and a Golden Globe to his credit. Rahman is also one of the most respected musicians in India. So it was a given that Rahman would have sought prior permission from the surviving family members to recreate said vocals. Despite this concerns of the move being 'creepy' and 'unwarranted' floated in a section of Tamil Twitter.
Planning his own downfall
— May (@May_is_a_maze) January 27, 2024
Agree
— Vinay (@nallai_allai) January 28, 2024
Using a deceased artist’s voice and making a new song through AI is disrespectful. This isn’t sound mixing, the voice is used to sing a new song altogether. That is not nice whatsoever
— Blue Sister (@YeahItshuMe) January 27, 2024
Bro I think she refers abt replacing them with A.I, If your friends replace you with a robot won't you be disappointed/angry? it's their voice/soul you can't just replace them with A.I apdi solla varanga..like respect them, ipdi easily replaceable ah treat pannathinge nu..
— Kabilan (@Kabilan_1507) January 27, 2024
If the family gets the proper recognition and monitory benefit why not? I’m sure @arrahman did that!!! Embrace the technology!! 💗
— Ludicrout 💙 (@Nathan_Senthil) January 28, 2024
But if the family is struggling financially, it should be ok right?
— Ludicrout 💙 (@Nathan_Senthil) January 28, 2024
Think so in kedaa cola movie also, they used Spb voice!!
— Dumeel kuppam vavvaluu (@being_cineman) January 27, 2024
yeah ella invention um apdi dha actually...idhuk edhuk ivlo react panranga nu therla😭, inime neraya AI product varapogudh ,idhuke ipdi na 🫠🫠
— clinjo🌛 (@clinjo_) January 27, 2024
but at the same time all of the critics should acknowledge his big appetite for risk taking… so many of us, no matter which field, tend to pick the tried and tested routes to success… but the man has been taking risks since Roja… new ideas splashed everywhere, nth but respect
— talkies (@thiraitalkies) January 31, 2024
AR Rahman has now addressed this chatter and added that not only was prior permission sought, the surviving family members have also been sent remuneration earned from the song. ARR stands by his use of AI for the Lal Salaam song and said on the X platform:
We took permission from their families and sent deserving remuneration for using their voice algorithms ..technology is not a threat and a nuisance if we use it right…#respect #nostalgia 🙏 https://t.co/X2TpRoGT3l
— A.R.Rahman (@arrahman) January 29, 2024