Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Stevie Wonder, Camila Cabello, Billie Eilish, and more than 200 other musicians have joined with the Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) – a non-profit artist-led education and advocacy organization – to issue an open letter calling on “AI developers, technology companies, platforms, and digital music services to cease the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.”.
While AI-related threats such as deepfakes and voice cloning continue to attract significant (and legal) scrutiny, the letter, the full text of which appears below, also highlights two related trends: I) the use of musical works by AI developers without permission to train and produce AI “copycats,” and II) the use of AI “sound” to dilute royalty obligations.
“Working musicians are already struggling to make ends meet in the streaming world, and now they have the added burden of trying to compete with a deluge of AI-generated noise,” explains Jen Jacobsen, Executive Director of the organization. “The unethical use of generative AI to replace human artists will devalue the entire music ecosystem—for artists and fans alike.”
The letter states: “We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists’ voices and likenesses, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem. We call on all digital music platforms and music-based services to pledge that they will not develop or deploy AI music-generation technology, content, or tools that undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists or deny us fair compensation for our work.”
Earlier this month, the state of Tennessee enacted the ELVIS Act, enhancing its “right of publicity” protections. Similar legislation is being discussed in the US Congress and in several US states.
The text of the letter follows in full:
We, the undersigned members of the artist and songwriting communities, call on AI developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to cease the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists.
Make no mistake: we believe that, when used responsibly, AI has enormous potential to advance human creativity and in a manner that enables the development and growth of new and exciting experiences for music fans everywhere.
Unfortunately, some platforms and developers are employing AI to sabotage creativity and undermine artists, songwriters, musicians and rightsholders.
When used irresponsibly, AI poses enormous threats to our ability to protect our privacy, our identities, our music and our livelihoods. Some of the biggest and most powerful companies are, without permission, using our work to train AI models. These efforts are directly aimed at replacing the work of human artists with massive quantities of AI-created “sounds” and “images” that substantially dilute the royalty pools that are paid out to artists. For many working musicians, artists and songwriters who are just trying to make ends meet, this would be catastrophic.
Unchecked, AI will set in motion a race to the bottom that will degrade the value of our work and prevent us from being fairly compensated for it.
This assault on human creativity must be stopped. We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists’ voices and likenesses, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem.
We call on all AI developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to pledge that they will not develop or deploy AI music-generation technology, content or tools that undermine or replace the human artistry of songwriters and artists or deny us fair compensation for our work.
Agus Martino
Aimee Mann
Ali McGuirk
Alice Randall
Alisa Amador
António Zambujo
Arkells
Ashley Shabankareh
Astrid
Astronomía Interior
Aya
Ayra Starr
Banda Carnaval
Banda El Recodo de Don Cruz Lizárraga
Banda Los Recoditos
BENEE
Benny the Butcher
Bia Marques
Bianca
Big Up
Billie Eilish
Billy Porter
Black Spygo
estate of Bob Marley
Brandi Waller-Pace
Brian Folkins-Amador
Brothers Osborne
Brunno Ramos
Bryan Behr
Bryan Martinez
Budah
Buddy Miller
CAKE
Calema
Calibre 50
Callie Khouri
Caloncho
Calum Scott
Cami
Camila Cabello
Canals
Carlão
Carol Biazin
Carolina Deslandes
Cedella Marley
Cedric Singleton
Chappell Roan
Chase & Status
Chega mais pra Cristo
Chelsea Cutler
Chesca
Chuck D
Ciph Boogie
Clotilde Rullaud
Coey Redd
Colin Linden
Crys Matthews
Czarface
d4vd
Dan Ferrera
Dan Knobler
Dan Navarro
Dan Smith
Daniel Martin Moore
Daniel Quién
Daniela Spalla
Danna Paola
Darius Rucker
Dave East
David Lowery
Declan Sheehy-Moss
Delacey
Diana Krall
Diogo Piçarra
Doce Encontro
Doechii
Don Was
Dylan LeBlanc
East Forest
Ela Taubert
Eli Soares
Elvis Costello
Em Beihold
Emiliano Fernández
Emily Scott Robinson
Engelbert Humperdinck
Enkay47
Erin McKeown
Espinoza Paz
Felipe Araújo
Fernando Daniel
FINNEAS
FLETCHER
estate of Frank Sinatra
Gavin Gray
Gonzy
Greta Van Fleet
Gretchen Peters
Grupo CAÑAVERAL
Grupo Recluta
Hit-Boy
Hugo & Vitor
HYBE
IMAFE Music
Imagine Dragons
Ivan Barias
Iván Conejo
J Balvin
J Gonz
Ja Rule
Jacinto
Jadakiss
Jamie Cullum
Jana Herzen
Jannek Zechner
Jason Isbell
Jason Lindner
Javy Hustle
Jean Rohe
Jeremy Zucker
Jess Glynne
Jim Jones
Joaquina
John Paul White
Jon Batiste
Jon Bon Jovi
Jonas Brothers
Jonathan Taplin
Jordan Rakei
Juan Marcus & Vinicius
Juan Pablo Contreras
Juanes
Julia Michaels
Kacey Musgraves
Kaio Viana
Kart Love
Kate Hudson
Katy Perry
Kevin Aguilar
Kid Pistola
Kim Petras
La Arrolladora
Banda El Limón de
René Camacho
Lasso
Lauana Prado
Laura Burhenn
Laura Veirs
Lee Lewis
Lera Lynn
Lola Índigo
Lola Young
Lou Garcia
Loudon Wainwright III
Lua Lacruz
Luciano Pereyra
Luis Fonsi
Luz Casal
Lynne Hanson
Mac DeMarco
Maggie Vail
Maneva
Manuel Carrasco
Mar.iana
Marc Cohn
Marcus King
Marian Hill
Marisa Liz
Mark Erelli
Mary Gauthier
estate of Mary Wilson
Matheus
Matthew Montfort
Maxx Kreative
Mayra
Mel Granda
Merca Xin Corte
Mergui
Metro Boomin
Mia Salinas
Michael Penn
Michelle Branch
Mikael Eldridge
Miko Marks
Miranda Lambert
Mumford & Sons
Mumuzinho
Nanno
Natalie Jean
Nesk Only
Nick Howard
Nicki Minaj
Noah Kahan
Norah Jones
Olivia Wald
Oney1
Dr. Otis Williams
Patrick Carney
Pearl Jam
Pedro Abrunhosa
Peter Case
Peter Frampton
Planta
Q-Tip
Raphael
Regis Danese
Reins
R.E.M.
Remi Wolf
Rhett Miller
Robert Finkelstein
Robert Smith
Rodney Crowell
Ron Pope
Rosanne Cash
Rosi Amador
Rui Massena
Ryan Tedder
Sam Smith
SER
Sérgio Godinho
Sherlyn Sánchez
Sheryl Crow
Sigrid
Simone Mendes
Smokey Robinson
Stevland Morris agrees
on behalf of himself and
Stevie Wonder
T Bone Burnett
T-Rex
Taylor Díaz
Tech N9ne
The Last Dinner Party
Tift Merritt
Tina Sinatra
Traci Thomas
Trucha
Valentina Fernandez
Vivir Quintana
WD
Will Linley
Windser
Yard Act
Yo Gambii
Zayn Malik
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