Music industry heavy hitters Sony and Universal join forces with artists including Katy Perry to combat AI exploitation

The music industry is piling pressure on tech companies to stop using their work to train artificial intelligence (AI) models without consent, credit and compensation.

Around 20 companies, including Sony and Universal, have launched a website designed to empower record labels to safeguard their copyright while also serving as a warning to technology businesses engaging in the “unlicensed exploitation” of their content.

“AI has long been a feature of the music sector,” they wrote on website RightsAndAI.com. “However, some AI company developments and uses have not been ethical, responsible or in compliance with copyright laws or other legal requirements.

“AI companies can ensure ethical and responsible AI by securing appropriate licences in advance from relevant rightsholders, not cutting corners at the expense of the world’s songwriters, artists, rightsholders and consumers. 

“Rights should never be ignored by AI companies aiming to accelerate their tech developments or commercial growth.

“Together in chorus we say: ‘no use without consent, credit & compensation’.”

The online resource was created by the International Confederation of Music Publishers (ICMP), whose members represent around 90 per cent of the world’s commercially released music.

Jackie Alway, chairwoman of ICMP and executive vice-president for legal and industry affairs at Universal Music, said: “As music publishers, we work every day to defend the rights of songwriters and composers worldwide. We are doing just that when it comes to ensuring respect for these rights and building a responsible, ethical, legal and innovative AI future.”

With the rise of AI-generated music and voice cloning, the music industry is also concerned over the erosion of human creativity and fair compensation.

Just days ago, OpenAI announced a new voice cloning tool, Voice Engine, but deemed it too risky for public use, saying it was “taking a cautious and informed approach to a broader release.”

Some 200 artists, including Billie Eilish and Katy Perry, have signed an open letter calling for an end to the “predatory” use of AI in the music industry.

In the letter organised by the campaign group the Artists’ Rights Alliance and posted on the long-form writing site Medium, the artists said AI music-generation tools “undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists, or deny us fair compensation for our work”.

Jonathan Coote, music and AI lawyer at Bray and Krais, said it is unclear if many of their demands will be legally enforceable in practice, though.

“While there are at least 20 legal actions against AI developers going through US courts and one-high profile case in the UK, the outcomes in many are uncertain and there are serious questions as to whether it will be possible to “put the genie back in the box”, even if these are successful.

“Crucially, because of how contracts in the music industry operate, many of these artists may not actually have the authority to launch their own lawsuits, as these rights are often signed away to record labels and publishers,” he explained.

Last month, the UK music industry launched legal action against Voicify, a startup specialising in creating songs that mimic the voices of famous musicians.