In the Indian film industry, a silent revolution is unfolding. Renowned director Ram Gopal Varma recently announced that he will fully adopt artificial intelligence for music generation in his future projects, bidding farewell to traditional music composition methods. This decision has not only shocked the industry but also sparked extensive discussions about the application of AI in the creative field.
Varma, a heavyweight in the Indian film industry, is known for his internationally acclaimed films such as "Company," "Rainbow," "Sarkar," and "The Real Legend." However, this innovative director is not stopping there. He recently established RGV Den Music, a company dedicated to using AI music generation applications like Suno and Udio. Varma revealed that the background music for his new film "Saree" has been entirely created by AI.
Image source note: The image was generated by AI, provided by the image authorization service provider Midjourney
In response to potential skepticism, Varma calls on artists to actively embrace AI technology rather than complain. He emphasizes, "The essence of music comes from the creator's thoughts. The key is whether you can clearly express your creative ideas to AI. Taste is the decisive factor!" This statement raises questions about whether AI can truly become the new "master of music" in the future music world.
However, Varma's views are not without controversy. As AI rapidly rises in the creative field, many industry insiders, including Oscar-winning director Christopher Nolan, hold a cautious attitude, believing that AI cannot replace human intuition and emotion in artistic creation.
As a major global film producer, India produces between 1,500 and 2,000 films annually, with a thriving music industry that releases between 20,000 and 25,000 songs each year. Varma bluntly points out some issues in traditional music production: composers often miss deadlines, scheduling conflicts are frequent, and lyrics often fail to accurately convey the essence of the song. These human factors often lead to extended music production cycles and increased costs. In contrast, AI music creation can be completed instantly and at almost no cost.
Varma boldly predicts that as AI technology continues to advance, human musicians, composers, lyricists, and singers may face the risk of being replaced. To protect the intellectual property of AI-generated music, he has partnered with startups Reclaim Protocol and Story Protocol to use encryption technology for copyright protection.
It is noteworthy that Varma is not alone in this endeavor. He reveals that many industry colleagues are also full of anticipation for AI's potential, indicating that AI may play a more important role in the Indian film industry in the coming years.
Varma's experiment undoubtedly injects new vitality into music creation and serves as a wake-up call for traditional music practitioners. AI technology is reshaping the process and form of music creation, and the future music world may be on the brink of unprecedented change. However, in this collision between technology and art, whether human creativity will be weakened or enhanced remains a question worth pondering.