Oscar-winning Indian music composer A.R. Rahman is set to collaborate with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on a project called “Secret Mountain,” that combines music with artificial intelligence. Rahman shared this news via Instagram in a post featuring him with Altman. He called the upcoming venture a “virtual global band,” which will “empower and uplift Indian minds to use AI tools.”
“It was a pleasure to meet @sama at his office. We discussed Secret Mountain, our virtual global band, and to empower and uplift Indian minds to use AI tools to address generational challenges and lead the way forward,” Rahman wrote in the post.
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Rahman posted a glimpse of the project last year on his YouTube channel with a video titled
“Introducing the Secret Mountain.” The video tells the story of a young woman named Luna, who finds herself in the realm of Secret Mountain, where she encounters a variety of musical characters hailing from different cultural backgrounds. The character can be heard saying, “Hey, I’m Luna, let me tell you a story. Like most of us, I have been wandering the jungles of instant gratification, dooms of scrolling.”
Secret Mountain features a “Meta band” that blends music, technology, and storytelling. The concept centers around a mystical world called Secret Mountain, where Rahman’s virtual ensemble of digital avatars (or metahumans) reside and perform. The project aims to empower creators especially from India and the Global South by using generative AI and Web3 tools to overcome traditional barriers in global entertainment. Rahman envisions it as a place where technology enhances rather than replaces human creativity. Secret Mountain is expected to bring creators from different countries including Ireland, China, India, and parts of Africa together.
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This project shows Rahman’s interest in using AI as a medium of cultural expression, and his goal of using technology to uplift minds. However, he has also voiced caution about the use of AI in music. Rahman had compared the misuse of AI to “mixing poison with oxygen.” Previously, he likened ungoverned AI training to a “Frankenstein of collective stolen knowledge,” yet acknowledged AI’s value in song mastering. “AI can be a starting point, but the human element, the emotional depth and creativity, remains irreplaceable,” he said on his website.
Rahman had also met Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas at the company’s New York office. “Great hosting @arrahman at @perplexity_ai office today with live demos of Comet browser, and his upcoming project ‘Secret Mountain,” Srinivas said on Instagram.
Rahman is also currently working on the score for Ramayana, an upcoming film directed by Nitesh Tiwari, alongside composer Hans Zimmer.