Paytm launches Playback feature to make a rap out of your expenses – but is your data safe?

Playback, a new AI-powered product from Paytm, lets customers create a personalized rap song using their spending data. According to the company, its new tool imaginatively tells the story of expenditure in a number of areas, including utilities, food, travel, and retail.

Currently in beta testing, the service is only being made available to “select high-transaction Paytm customers.”

“Young Indians today consume their world as content, and we saw an opportunity to turn routine expense statements into something engaging and relatable,” the company said in a statement about its new feature.

Verify that the most recent version of the Paytm app is installed. Launch the application.

Go to the ‘Balance & History’ section on the start screen. Tap the ‘Paytm Playback’ banner to create a customized rap based on the payments from the previous month. As an alternative, you can click this link to get straight to it.  Your spending data will be safely transformed into a rap song by the AI in a matter of seconds. ​

Paytm markets the new experience as a “engaging and interactive experience,” however the domestic company did not provide further information on the privacy precautions implemented for the new feature.

Many important questions about the new feature are still unanswered, including: Will users be able to remove derived content in the future and withdraw consent, and is the Playback feature strictly opt-in?

Additionally, the business does not specify which AI models it employs or what information—such as merchant names, timestamps, locations, and amounts—is supplied into them. Additionally, it’s unclear if the system conceals private information on political contributions, religion, and health.