Over 200 musicians, including Stevie Wonder, Miranda Lambert, Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, Peter Frampton, Katy Perry, Smokey Robinson, and J Balvin, have joined forces to address the use of artificial intelligence in the music industry. The Artist Rights Alliance, a non-profit organization advocating for musicians, submitted an open letter calling on AI tech companies, developers, platforms, digital music services, and platforms to refrain from using AI in ways that infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.
While recognizing the potential creative benefits of AI technology, the letter highlights the threats it poses to human artistry. One concern raised in the letter is the use of preexisting work to train AI models without permission, which could lead to the replacement of artists and a decrease in royalty payments to musicians.
The letter emphasizes the need to protect against the predatory use of AI to steal artists' voices and likenesses, violate creators' rights, and disrupt the music ecosystem. In response to these concerns, Tennessee recently passed the "ELVIS Act," legislation aimed at safeguarding songwriters, performers, and other music industry professionals from the unauthorized replication of their voices by generative AI tools.
Supporters of the "ELVIS Act" argue that artists have unique intellectual property that should be protected from artificial intelligence. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee highlighted the importance of preserving artists' gifts and uniqueness in the face of advancing AI technology. The bill is set to take effect on July 1, marking a significant step in addressing the potential risks posed by AI in the music industry.