Musician AR Rahman is not against Artificial Intelligence (AI), but he does not think it can ever truly become a substitute for artists and their creativity.

Speaking to The Week, the Madras maestro said, “AI helps in the mastering process, but creating a tune still requires a human heart and a philosophical mind. I believe That the future will belong to real musicians who get on stage with a guitar and a song.” I think, with digitalization, we will value imperfections even more—’Oh, it’s true, see?'”

“AI is Frankenstein – trained on collected, stolen knowledge. (It’s) good as a starting tool. I use AI for posters. Sometimes the result surprises you, and sometimes it’s very Worse happens, in which case I use a combination of Photoshop and AI,” Rahman said.

During the same interview, Rahman talked about the director with whom he would like to work again. “Mani Ratnam! I think the more you trust someone, the more you torture yourself. Some directors are very clear about what they want, so projects move faster. But Mani Ratnam will say, ‘Give me something,’ and you wonder and torture yourself to give him something inspiring, meanwhile, he quietly enjoys it, of course, in a good way,” Rahman signs off.

AR Rahman and Tamil director Mani Ratnam have collaborated on several projects over the years, including Roja, Bombay, Yuva and Guru.