Artists Rights Alliance Seeks Ban on AI-Generated Music
The Artists Right Alliance is up in arms against music generated by Artificial Intelligence after countless issues of predatory and unethical uses. In an open letter to the US government and other concerned authorities, over 200 top American artists have called for a complete stop and ban on AI-generated music in the US. Some of the signatories include the topmost stars of today, including Katy Perry, Billie Eilish, and Nicki Minaj.
The open letter warns that unchecked “predatory” uses of AI in music “will set a race to the bottom in motion.” The artists argue that 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,” it states.
Condemning AI-generated music in the strongest terms, it states that AI models are trained on albums and catalogs of artists sans their prior permission. The letter blasts this practice as an “assault on human creativity that violates creators’ rights and destroys the music ecosystem.”
Tom Kiehl, Interim Head of UK Music, said: “This amounts to music laundering, and any companies engaged in these practices must stop and take a more responsible approach.”
The AI music debate gained momentum after an AI-generated track mimicking Drake and The Weeknd’s voices went viral, getting posted on Spotify and Apple Music before being taken off. Drake voiced displeasure over the believable but bogus song.
Meanwhile, other signatories to the letter include the Estate of Frank Sinatra and some of the topmost artists, including Jonas Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Jon Bon Jovi, Engelbert Humperdinck, REM, and others.
