'I'm Fond Of Using AI In Music,' Says Singer Simran Choudhary

In a world where artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping every industry, music is no exception. From generating beats and textures to mimicking iconic voices, AI is becoming a powerful tool for composers and creators, sparking both excitement and debate. But can it ever truly match the emotion and depth a human voice brings to a song?

In an exclusive conversation with singer-songwriter Simran Choudhary, we explore how AI is impacting the music scene, the ways she embraces this technology in her own work, and why she believes the human touch will always be irreplaceable.

Excerpts:

With AI tools becoming more advanced, do you see them as a helpful collaborator or a threat to your creative process?

I think technology, when used wisely, is a blessing. I am myself in favour of using different AI tools to make things interesting. For example, my own song "Rehle Mere Kol" had a chorus that was recorded in my vocals and then converted into different textures through AI. So there's nothing bad with incorporating it.

Only thing important here is to remember that it’s just artificial intelligence and can never replace what a human touch can do.

Do you use AI-driven tools in your work? If yes, how and why? And if not, what’s kept you from using them so far?

Like I mentioned, one of my songs featured AI vocals, and I'm not ashamed of it at all. Similarly for reference purposes sometimes, I use tools to give me an idea of what a certain section would sound like before actually getting it recorded. And course, here comes ChatGPT, which is the new messiah for everyone.

What do you think about AI being used to mimic or resurrect the voices of iconic artists? Is it a tribute or a step too far?

Yes, AI has been able to mimic the voice of the most iconic artists. But it is never really about paying a tribute to somebody. One thing that it facilitates is – if you have made a song, you would like to see how a certain song would sound in a particular voice before getting it actually dubbed. It is an experiment.

That is where AI comes into play, where you have an idea of how the song would sound but can in no way match the emotion that only a human can bring into the recording.

In a world where AI can compose a track in seconds, how important do you feel the human touch and emotion are in making music?

Human touch has NO substitute. AI can compose a track in seconds. There are certain songs that I heard lately without mentioning their names that I know were composed and written using AI. But the kind of emotion that would always differentiate the entire human race is the ability to feel emotions and the ability to be able to express them.

AI would probably never be able to replicate or replace human emotions. There is no competition and anything that can replace human touch or human emotion in making music.

How do you envision AI shaping the future of music?

AI tools are coming into music; I am fond of using AI for various reasons. When it comes to video production, visualisers, and music production. For example, my song 'Rehle Mere Kol' had a chorus portion where I and Hiten Producer of the song, recorded multiple stacks in our own voices, converted them using AI into different textures of male vocals and we made a chorus for the song.

AI and technology are a blessing when used wisely. You have to know what your limits are. But the future definitely holds more scope for AI being used in our everyday cultures, not just in music but also in our everyday chores. It's good to progress with time and be prepared rather for this to happen.