Japanese metal band DIR EN GREY have announced a partnership with US-based AI technology company Cifer Studio via their official website on December 27th.
According to a press release issued by Cifer Studio outlining a broad framework for the partnership, the collaboration will involve analysing and utilising DIR EN GREY’s existing music and visual materials using AI systems. While the company places strong emphasis on copyright protection, intellectual property ownership, and creative autonomy, the announcement states that the partnership will use AI “to explore new forms of creative expression”, while defining the tools as “not a replacement for human creativity, but as a tool to protect and expand the artist’s unique vision”.
Cifer Studio operates under the CiferAI umbrella, a company that frames its work around what it calls “ethical AI” and user-controlled data use. CiferAI describes a decentralised machine learning model that keeps training data with its original owners rather than collecting it into a single central system. The company says this approach limits unauthorised use of creative assets, with additional safeguards around privacy, security, and ownership.
Commenting on the partnership, guitarist Kaoru described the concept of “AI DIR EN GREY vs. DIR EN GREY” as “intellectually thought-provoking”. Cifer Studio founder and CEO Miranda A. Valerin, who also leads parent company CiferAI, added that the company aims to move away from a history of technological development that has come at the expense of creators’ rights, saying:
“I want to break the history where technological advancements have often come at the expense of privacy and authorship rights. It is an honor to walk alongside artists like DIR EN GREY, who continue to pursue artistic truth.”
Despite the language used in the announcement, the scope of how, or how extensively, AI will be integrated into DIR EN GREY’s work remains unclear. The lack of concrete detail has prompted discussion among fans, particularly in light of the band’s recent use of AI-assisted visuals. Their 2024 single ‘The Devil In Me’ drew criticism from international listeners for its extensive use of AI imagery, a technique that has also appeared in visual elements during live performances.
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Those concerns re-emerged earlier this year when frontman Kyo’s project sukekiyo released the music video for ‘breeder’. The video relied heavily on AI-generated footage and digitally replaced the vocalist entirely, imagery that also carried over into the band’s promotional images.
With DIR EN GREY’s 12th album ‘MORTAL DOWNER’ scheduled for release in 2026, some fans have questioned whether AI will extend beyond visual elements and play a larger role in the band’s future output. At present, neither DIR EN GREY nor Cifer Studio have clarified how deeply the technology will factor into upcoming releases.
The Cifer Studio website is currently live with a holding page for the partnership, with further details on the collaboration expected in the coming months.
