Today in AI: AI no threat to music industry says Javed Akhtar, SenseAI launches Rs 200 crore fund, India needs AI says Tanuj Bhojwani

Javed Akhtar says no threat to music space due to AI, but industry remains divided

The music industry believes that AI depends on existing data to create something, and when it uses an existing product of an artiste, then the creator’s permission should be obtained and the artiste should be compensated.

• “What makes me less scared than many is that AI is used for drafting anything that exists. Creation is based on the fact that something does not exist. AI is dependent on data. It can only pick and choose from different places and information that is already there. All art includes imagination, passion, and dreams. AI, until it develops a subconscious, is not a threat,” he said during a panel discussion on the use of AI in the music industry on December 5.


• Akhtar added that the moment there is a new technology, there needs to be a law. “AI cannot be a horse without a reign. Tomorrow, if I ask AI to give songs of Anu Malik's composition, and when it does, Anu Malik should get a fair share of the profits. It has to be seen how this can be made feasible and implemented.”

SenseAI Ventures launches AI-First Innovation Fund worth Rs 200 crore

SenseAI Fund I is poised to invest in 18-20 AI-first startups, focusing on seed/ pre-A stage companies. The fund also plans to make follow-on investments in its most promising portfolio companies.

• Raja Gopalakrishnan, a global CXO with a track record of building businesses across various geographies, has been roped in as the general partner. “His extensive experience in leading three successful startups in diverse fields including Data, BPO, and Money Movement as well as over 30 years in finance and tech positions him as an invaluable asset to SenseAI's ambitious growth plans,” SenseAI Ventures said.


• Gopalakrishnan said: “I am very excited to be part of a team that's been a trendsetter in AI investments. We will continue to build on the foundation of ‘Beyond Capital’ by providing more than just funding. We offer a partnership that starts with product and technology, fostering a breed of AI startups that are both successful and revolutionary.”

India needs it, India is ready for it, India will do it: Nandan Nilekani, Tanuj Bhojwani on country's AI potential

India will emerge as the world's foremost user of AI before the end of this decade, according to Infosys co-founder and chairman Nandan Nilekani and Tanuj Bhojwani, head of People+AI.

• In a paper published in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) titled Unlocking India's Potential with AI, Nilekani and Bhojwani said this outlook is dependent on three facts: "India needs it, India is ready for it, and India will do it."


• “With 1.4 billion people, India is closer to a continent than a country. Its population is almost twice that of Europe. But the average age in India is 28, compared with Europe’s 44, which means a higher share of the population is of working age,” Nilekani and Bhojwani said.