AI can be a tool or a problem: Anoushka Shankar on the rise of AI in the music industry
Sitar player Anoushka Shankar, daughter of late sitar virtuoso Pandit Ravi Shankar, shares her thoughts on Artificial Intelligence and working in Bollywood
Lately, Anoushka Shankar has had her hands full with touring, writing and composing new music and even releasing her new “mini albums”, which she says, “I think I made it up, to be honest (laughs).” Having followed in the footsteps of her father, late sitar virtuoso Pandit Ravi Shankar, her newest album, Chapter II: How Dark it Is Before Dawn, is the second of three and she says, “These mini albums are unusual because I think of them like a series of a book, where they all connect in the end, but they are still individual parts of a story.”
One topic that has the music industry divided is Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Anoushka opines, “Just like any technological advancement, it can be a tool or a problem. Some 20 years ago we were saying the same things about the internet and streaming. It is all about how AI is being used and will be governed.”
The musician further adds, “It’s easy to see AI’s potential for changing the world of music. Therefore, we need to look into ensuring artists are protected and the legalities are taken care of; I think pushing for this to happen first feels more important. I think in itself, it isn't something to be frightened of, but if it's not properly governed, then it can create big problems.”
The 43-year-old was bestowed with an Honorary Doctorate of Music degree from the University of Oxford last month. “It was a huge honour and a happy shock. Coming from an artistic family, there is a running joke among my Asian friends that I have finally made it,” jokes the nine-time Grammy-nominated musician, adding, “Oxford is a prestigious school and it felt truly special to be given the title.”
Having worked on a few soundtracks for films and series like Mira Nair's A Suitable Boy (2020) and the biographical drama Victoria & Abdul (2017), ask Anoushka why there aren’t more Bollywood film credits to her name and she says, “Nobody asks me.”
With pan-India films being the new buzzword, the musician, who is “half south Indian and half north Indian” and has trained in several genres, goes on to explain, “I learnt Carnatic music and make multi-cultural music and it should be a good fit. But I think people think of me in a very specific way [as a sitar player]. I have a huge audience and a great career, but outside of that, with the sitar, people might think, ‘Oh, we don’t need that’. It’s very insular. People don't think beyond one tagline. So, they don't think of me for a lot of stuff.”
She rues, “I'll see new things coming out and go, ‘That would’ve been a really nice one to work’.” Having adopted a positive outlook, Anoushka says, “But, this way I can be choosy and work on something that feels authentic and real. But, I am open for work and I'd love to do it.”