Breaking: No pact with AI band Trilok, says Govt as Prasar Bharati faces questions over AI-generated content

The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has clarified that Prasar Bharati has not entered into any partnership with “Trilok,” an AI-generated music band, amid intensifying scrutiny in Parliament and growing controversy over the use of artificial intelligence in state-funded media. The clarification was issued through a written reply tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Friday.

Launched by Collective Media Network, Trilok is a digital music act made entirely with AI. Everything from the vocals and lyrics to the visuals and stage personas has been created using artificial intelligence. There are no humans performing in the band. Instead, AI tools are used to produce the music and shape the identity of each band member.

Minister of State for Information & Broadcasting Dr. L. Murugan stated that there was no collaboration between the public broadcaster and the AI band for airing content on Akashvani, Doordarshan or on its OTT platform WAVES. The clarification comes after weeks of announcement industry criticism triggered by claims that the broadcaster had begun showcasing AI-generated musical content, raising concerns among creators and rights holders.

Although the ministry denied any formal association, it acknowledged that AI-generated devotional music had been broadcast during the Durga Navratri festival as part of a limited pilot exercise. Murugan emphasised that the pilot involved no expenditures, budget allocations or recurring commitments.

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Despite this, the small-scale experiment sparked considerable debate, with music industry bodies arguing that introducing AI-generated content on a taxpayer-funded broadcaster without prior disclosure or consultation risked displacing human performers, depressing earnings and creating unfair competition.

The controversy was amplified by multiple issues raised by stakeholders. Musician unions expressed fears that AI-generated compositions could lower remuneration for human artists and reduce performance opportunities. Copyright specialists flagged the legal risks if AI systems were trained on unlicensed datasets, which could expose public institutions to infringement claims.

Creators’ organisations argued that the lack of transparency around AI models and datasets undermines accountability in public broadcasting. Voice artists warned of the rising threat of AI-driven voice cloning being used without consent, potentially affecting both reputation and income. Cultural bodies also questioned whether national broadcasters should promote machine-generated content at the cost of diminishing platforms for Indian artistic talent.

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The ministry, while reiterating that Prasar Bharati has not partnered with “Trilok,” clarified that questions about the technology, AI models or data used by the band do not apply in the absence of any collaboration. It added that concerns about the licensing of training datasets were similarly irrelevant.

However, the controversy has highlighted persistent policy gaps. Members of Parliament have been pressing the government to provide clarity on the future use of AI-generated content by public broadcasters, outline disclosure standards for AI-assisted programming, ensure mechanisms to prevent copyright violations and establish frameworks to protect creators’ and performers’ rights in an increasingly AI-driven media environment.

The ministry’s response suggests that the Navratri broadcast was an isolated experiment rather than the beginning of an AI-led programming shift. Still, with generative AI rapidly entering newsrooms, music production and entertainment pipelines, industry watchers expect the government to bring out detailed guidelines soon. These guidelines will likely need to balance innovation with the risk of undermining creators’ livelihoods, complicating rights enforcement and enabling ethical risks such as non-consensual voice reproduction.

For now, the government has categorically stated that Prasar Bharati has no partnership with the AI band “Trilok” and is not spending public funds on such collaborations. Yet the debate has underscored the urgent need for a clear regulatory framework as AI-driven creativity becomes more prevalent across broadcasting and content production.