AR Rahman Breaks Silence On Using AI To Recreate Voices Of Late Singers

AR Rahman recently used artificial intelligence (AI) to recreate the voices of two late singers, Bamba Bakya and Shahul Hameed, for the song 'Thimiri Yezhuda' in Rajinikanth's upcoming film 'Lal Salaam'. This move left many fans divided on the internet. While some praised Rahman's attempt saying that musicians should adapt to technological advancements, others dubbed the move "disrespectful" and "morally unethical". Now, the Oscar-winning composer clarified the issue to reveal that permission was taken by the families of the legendary singers and were also sent remuneration.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Rahman shared Sony Music South's post highlighting how an AI tool was used to recreate the singers' voices. In the caption, he wrote, "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".

Notably, singer Bamba Bakya died at the age of 41 in 2022 due to a cardiac arrest. Shahul Hameed, on the other hand, died at the age of 44 in a car crash in 1997 near Chennai.