Sony takes on AI, warns 700 companies not to train algorithms on their music

AI For Business


Sony Music Group, one of the world's largest record labels, has warned artificial intelligence companies and music streaming platforms not to use its content without its explicit permission.

Sony Music, home to artists such as Lil Nas Letters were sent to more than 1,000 companies.

Sony Music Group's “misuse” of content in “the training, development, and commercialization of AI systems” deprives the company and its artists of control and compensation for their work, according to a letter obtained by Bloomberg News. It is said that it will happen.

Piracy has become a major battleground for generative AI, which is used to create all kinds of content, from text to images to video. Hollywood actors and writers went on strike last year to protect their art from AI, while new startups are churning out entire albums of AI-generated music, raising concerns over artists' livelihoods. , tensions with the streaming platform have flared up again.

Sony Music, like other companies in the industry, is struggling to balance the creative potential of rapidly evolving technology while protecting artist rights and its own profits.

“We support artists and songwriters who take the initiative to embrace new technology to support the arts,” Sony Music Group said in a statement Thursday. “However, that innovation must ensure that the rights of songwriters and recording artists, including copyright, are respected.”

Universal Music Group NV has been particularly outspoken over the past year and a half, announcing the “nuclear option” of removing its entire music catalog from TikTok and suing AI startup Anthropic for publishing its lyrics without permission. I have taken up to permission.

After months of stalemate, Universal ended its feud with ByteDance-owned TikTok earlier this month, saying it would “work together to ensure AI development across the music industry protects human artistry and the economy.” An agreement was reached that secured commitments from both parties. It flows to those artists and songwriters. ”

In another sign of the escalating conflict between creators and AI companies, synthesized voice startup Lovo Inc. announced Thursday that the company is appropriating actors' voices and marketing its use to its products as if it were legitimate. A class action lawsuit was filed for deceptive advertising. One person said the two voice-over actors were used by people whose voices Lovo used without permission or compensation “for the purpose of creating or improving AI text-to-speech generators,” or if the voices reproduced by the AI ​​were suitable. They say they are seeking representation for people who have been used or sold without compensation. The complaint was filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.

In many jurisdictions around the world, particularly the European Union, copyright holders are encouraged to publicly state that their content will not be used for data mining or AI training without a specific license agreement.

In the United States, the music industry is supporting federal legislation in Congress that would protect artists' voices and images from AI abuse. In April, Warner Music Group CEO Robert Kinkle testified before a Congressional subcommittee and expressed support for the NO FAKES Act.

“We have ensured a robust free-market licensing system that allows the use of copyrighted material to train AI models and strong legal protections for name, publicity and voice rights,” he said in prepared testimony. There is a need to do so.”

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