Sony Music shares damning letter regarding AI in music
In a new document, Sony Music is questioning whether companies like Google and OpenAI have used its songs without permission to train artificial intelligence systems.
A letter has been sent to over 700 firms asking them to prove whether they’ve used music owned by the company or not. Sony Music suggests that it has suspicions that these companies “may already have made unauthorized uses” of their catalogue.
The music publisher represents some of the world’s largest artists, such as Adele, Bob Dylan, Britney Spears, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, David Bowie, and Elvis Presley. The main concern is that their music has been used illegally to develop AI software, such as those that can generate songs, which potentially goes against copyright laws.
There are debates surrounding the use of pre-existing art as material for training AI, with certain people arguing that this is simply fair use. However, others believe that it is an infringement of copyright to use content without permission first.
The lengthy letter requires these companies to send meticulously detailed information about the material they’ve used to train and develop AI models. Sony Music wants to know what songs were used, whether copies were made, and how these companies accessed such songs in the first place.
Sony Music has set a deadline for these several hundred companies to respond. The music publisher is serious in its demands, referencing the recent AI Act. This new legislation asks companies to provide information about the material they’ve used to train AI.
Talking to BBC, lawyer Nana Nwachukwu explained that the new AI Act will “mandate that all general-purpose AI models must comply with rigorous documentation and transparency requirements,” adding, “This includes the obligation to publicly disclose detailed summaries of the training data employed, adhering to copyright holders’ opt-outs, and ensuring that all data usage complies with EU copyright laws.”
The battle against AI in music has been ongoing for a long time. While many artists believe that the technology can be beneficial to the creative industries, others see it as a genuine threat to artistry and originality. The legalities of AI are at the centre of debates, with Sony Music’s crackdown just the latest example of a company ensuring it is protected against the development of the technology.
This is a developing story.
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