Zubeen Garg’s Voice To Be Digitally Preserved To Prevent AI Misuse After His Death
Steps are being taken to digitally preserve Zubeen Garg’s voice to protect it from AI misuse, as Assam prepares for his state funeral tomorrow.
As Assam and the rest of India mourn the sudden death of renowned singer Zubeen Garg, those close to him are taking steps to digitally preserve his voice to ensure it cannot be tampered with or misused in the future. Singer-composer Manas Robin, a long-time associate of Zubeen Garg, explained that the aim is to create a “digital signature” of the late singer’s voice. This would protect it from being distorted or replicated using AI and other emerging technologies.
“With technology making massive strides, especially with AI-generated software, it is very much possible that Zubeen’s voice samples taken from the internet could be used by other singers/performers as their own in the future,” Manas Robin told PTI at Sarusajai Stadium, where lakhs gathered to pay tribute to the artist.
Robin elaborated, “We will work on preserving Zubeen’s voice digitally and creating such a ‘digital signature’ that the moment his vocals are played, its origin can be detected.”
He compared the effort to facial recognition systems that detect digitally altered images, adding that similar tools are now being developed for voice authentication.
Manas Robin also noted that Zubeen Garg’s work has already been archived to some extent. “Digital preservation of Zubeen’s work is already underway through his YouTube channel and other internet platforms. We also want to put a digital signature to his voice so that no one can pass it off as their own in today’s world of AI-generated audios and videos. It will also ensure that no one can tamper with Zubeen’s voice,” he told PTI.
The musician-director, known for his folk and Bihu songs, also reflected on the global outpouring of grief following Zubeen Garg’s death. “This gathering of lakhs of people to pay their respects has made the world sit up and take note of what Zubeen Garg meant for Assam and why,” he added.
He further praised Zubeen Garg’s effortless ability to sing in high octaves, something he said only a few singers worldwide could manage.
Zubeen Garg, 52, died in Singapore on Friday while swimming in the sea. He was in the country as a Cultural Brand Ambassador for the North East India Festival, where he was scheduled to perform. His body reached Guwahati on Sunday, and his final rites will be conducted with full state honours at Kamarkuchi village on September 23 at 8:00 AM. His mortal remains will be carried from the Arjun Bhogeshwar Baruah Sports Complex to the cremation site.
The Singapore government has issued a preliminary death certificate citing drowning as the cause of death. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the update, clarifying that the official post-mortem report is awaited.
“We will send the documents to the CID,” he said, adding that the Chief Secretary of Assam is in touch with the Singapore Ambassador to expedite the process.
The singer’s untimely demise has left a void in Assamese and Indian music. His unique voice will continue to inspire generations to come.
