Malaysia’s vocal powerhouse singer Idayu has revealed that she is not ready to perform songs created using artificial intelligence (AI), despite frequently receiving such offers.
The 41-year-old singer, whose real name is Nur Farah Idayu Yaakob, said that while some AI-generated compositions may sound impressive, they lack the emotional depth required for meaningful musical expression.
Idayu noted that although she has come across AI-created songs of high technical quality, such works are not eligible for major awards such as Anugerah Juara Lagu (AJL).
“I actually receive a lot of AI songs, but unfortunately they cannot enter AJL. I do admit some of them are good and usable,” she said during a casual media session promoting her duet track Mahal with Gegar Vaganza 12 winner Iskandar Ismail at Red Box The Gardens.
She added that some AI-generated ideas have surprised her with their creativity, even outperforming what some experienced composers are able to produce. However, she stressed that AI lacks human emotion and feeling.
“AI doesn’t give emotion because it is just a robot. It has no feeling. It cannot produce that ‘feel’,” she said.
The AF Megastar 2017 champion also shared that veteran composers she has spoken to share similar views, including Helen Yap, who reportedly agrees that AI cannot replicate human emotion in music.
At the same time, Idayu said she does not view AI as a threat to the music industry, but rather as a tool that can be used wisely to assist creators.
She clarified that she has never used AI in her recording work since her debut song Kasih Yang Terpisah with the late Datuk Adnan Abu Hassan, noting that the track was recorded efficiently without modern technological assistance.
“From a convenience point of view, some composers may use technology to make things easier, but not everyone does,” she added.
Speaking about her latest release Mahal, which serves as the soundtrack for the drama Mencari Isteri Sempurna, Idayu said the collaboration with Iskandar came as a pleasant surprise.
She initially did not know who her duet partner would be, but was pleased when Iskandar’s name was confirmed, having followed his performances on Gegar Vaganza.
“I was confident he would win, and I was right. Now we get to collaborate together,” she said.
