Over the last few years, film industry veterans have been widely debating on the cause and effects of artificial intelligence as it rapidly spreads its wings across the world, becoming an indispensable part of every field. Musical maestro Ilaiyaraaja, who is currently celebrating his golden jubilee year in the industry and has seen major technological advancements over the years, too had his hot take on AI.
In a recent interview with Billboard, the 83-year-old eminent composer expressed his disapproval of AI being used in everyday life, describing it as “fake.” He said, “You already have AI in your mind. Is there anything you have learnt on your own? Whether through someone or by reading, human beings gain knowledge only through these means. In that sense, our own accumulated knowledge itself is AI.”
He further emphasised that “there is no AI,” arguing that the technology itself is entirely human-made. “Can one AI create another? It’s fake,” he remarked, reinforcing his view that artificial intelligence is ultimately a human construct rather than an independent form of intelligence.
The stalwart in 2025, became the first-ever Asian, as well as Indian film composer to compose, record, and perform live a full Western classical symphony in London. Titled 'Valiant', it was recorded alongside the renowned Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, it was showcased at London's Eventim Apollo.
On the work front, Ilaiyaraaja is working on a few much-anticipated projects including Pocket Novel, Thiagarajan Kumararaja's third feature directorial starring Vijay Sethupathi in the lead. He is also composing music for Karthik Subbaraj's tenth yet-to-be-titled film, backed by Guneet Monga, Achin Jain, Jyoti Deshpande, Jio Studios and Sikhya Entertainment. Besides these two, it was also recently revealed that he will work with Mari Selvaraj for his upcoming sixth film titled Manjanathi which also stars Kayadu Lohar and Priyanka Mohan.
