Billie Eilish attends the 96th Academy Awards on March 10, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Sarah Morris/Wire Image)
- Hundreds of artists and songwriters have signed an open letter calling for protection from what they call an “attack on human creativity” by artificial intelligence.
- The letter was signed by the estates of Billie Eilish, Smokey Robinson and Frank Sinatra.
- The letter comes after months of similar warnings that unchecked artificial intelligence could violate copyright laws and open the door to rampant fraud and theft.
Hundreds of artists and songwriters, including the estates of Billie Eilish, Smokey Robinson and Frank Sinatra, are seeking protection from what they call an “attack on human creativity” by artificial intelligence, published Tuesday. Signed the open letter.
“We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal the voices and likenesses of professional artists, violate the rights of creators, and disrupt the music ecosystem,” said the letter, submitted by the nonprofit Artist Rights Alliance. It is written, “It must be done.”
The letter comes after months of similar warnings that unchecked artificial intelligence could violate copyright laws and open the door to rampant fraud and theft.
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“We require all digital music platforms and music-based services to use AI music that undermines or replaces the human artistry of songwriters and artists, or that denies us fair compensation. “We ask you to pledge not to develop or deploy any generative technologies, content, or tools that do our work,” the letter reads, and its signatories include Katy Perry, J. Jam was also included.
“Unchecked, AI will create a race to the bottom, diminishing the value of our work, and preventing us from getting just compensation for it,” the letter said.
Last month, Tennessee, one of the music industry hubs thanks to Nashville, became the first state in the country to pass the ELVIS Act, which aims to protect music industry professionals from the threat of AI.
The Portrait, Sound, and Image Security Act, which will go into effect on July 1, states that an artist's voice cannot be reproduced using AI-generating tools without consent.
Similar bills are being debated at the federal level in Congress and in several other states.
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Activists and top industry groups such as the Recording Industry Association of America and the Screen Actors Guild praised the Tennessee law, and the global coalition Human Artistry Campaign called it “landmark” legislation.
In a letter Tuesday, the Artist Rights Alliance, an artist-run organization representing songwriters and performers, acknowledged that AI has “tremendous potential to enhance human creativity,” but there are darker consequences. warned about.
“Working musicians already struggle to make a living in the world of streaming, but now they have the added burden of having to compete with a deluge of noise generated by AI,” said Jen Jacobsen, head of ARA. “It has been done,” he said.
Universal Music Group has cited TikTok's approach to AI as a factor in the ongoing contract renewal battle between the two companies, resulting in songs from many of Universal's recording and publishing artists being transferred to the platform. It was decided to be deleted from.
