Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, and More Than 200 Artists Write to AI Developers for Protection : Tech : Tech Times

The Artist Rights Alliance, including Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, and more than 200 artists have penned a letter to artificial intelligence (AI) developers not to develop tools that “infringe” artists’ rights, consequently calling for protection against the booming technology.

According to their official website, the Artist Rights Alliance, a non-profit composed of working musicians, performers, and composers, filed the open letter in support of a thriving creative economy and equitable treatment for all creators in the digital sphere. 

(Photo : JAVIER TORRES/AFP via Getty Images) A recent study has revealed the growing concerns about the impact of AI on the music industry that could affect musicians’ livelihoods.

The letter asks digital music services, tech firms, and AI developers to promise not to create or implement AI tools, content, or technology that undermines or replaces the human artistry of songwriters and musicians or fails to provide them with just compensation for their labor. 

The estate of Frank Sinatra, Mumford & Sons, Imagine Dragons, Sheryl Crow, Rosanne Cash, the daughter of Johnny Cash, Smokey Robinson, and Zayn Malik, a former member of One Direction, are among the other names on the list.  

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Negotiations Against AI Artists

As per the Guardian, the letter notes that appropriate use of the technology might assist the music business and does not advocate for an outright ban on its usage in the production of music.

In recent years, AI techniques have been employed by music producers in several ways. One such application was using AI to separate John Lennon’s vocals from an old demo file and use them to create a “new” Beatles song that was released the previous year.  

Several contract discussions and strikes by entertainment industry unions in 2023 were centered on concerns about AI being used to make songs and scripts or create pictures and videos of performers and entertainers.

A bill to criminalize non-consensual, AI-generated sexualized imagery was introduced by parliamentarians earlier this year as a result of the widespread distribution of pornographic photos of Taylor Swift created by deepfakes. OpenAI, the company that created ChatGPT, postponed the launch of a voice-mimicry application just last week due to worries about responsible use. 

First Law on Artist AI Deepfakes

Positively, Tennessee’s newest law, the “Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security Act” (ELVIS Act), will make unlicensed AI imitations unlawful. The law, which was signed into law by Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee in March, aims to protect artists, composers, and other industry professionals from any threats associated with artificial intelligence.

According to advocates, the goal is to ensure that AI systems cannot mimic the voice of an artist without that artist’s consent. On July 1, the law will go into effect.

At Nashville’s honky-tonk Robert’s Western World, Lee reportedly signed the bill-which is being referred to as first-of-its-kind legislation alongside legislative leadership and country music performers Luke Bryan and Chris Janson. The State is one of only three states that acknowledges names, likenesses, and photographs as property rights rather than rights of publicity.  

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