AI-generated music is getting scary good and artists have grown more serious than ever about misuse. Over 200 artists have now signed an open letter calling for the “predatory” use of AI in the music industry to be stopped. The signatories include the likes of Katy Perry, Billie Eilish, and Nicki Minaj.
Organised by the Artists’ Rights Alliance, the open letter warns that unchecked “predatory” uses of AI in music “will set in motion a race to the bottom.” The artists argue AI risks “infringing upon our rights and devaluing the rights of human artists” if deployed irresponsibly.
“We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal artists’ voices and likenesses,” the letter states. They want tech companies to pledge not to develop AI tools “that undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists, or deny us fair compensation for our work.”
The grievances stem from how some AI models are trained on artists’ catalogues without permission. The letter calls this practice “an assault on human creativity” that “violates creators’ rights and destroys the music ecosystem.”
Tom Kiehl, interim head of UK Music, agrees there are serious issues: “This amounts to music laundering and any companies engaged in these practices must stop and take a more responsible approach.”
The AI music debate caught fire after an AI-generated track mimicking Drake and The Weeknd’s voices went viral, getting posted on Spotify and Apple Music before being yanked. Drake voiced displeasure over the believable but bogus song.
Not every musician opposes AI’s role in music though. Electronic artist Grimes encouraged fans to use her voice for AI tracks, offering to split royalties. And Liam Gallagher praised the AI-created Oasis album AISIS, saying the AI version of his voice sounded “mega.”
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 03-04-2024 at 14:58 IST
