Google and Universal Music Group are in the early stages of discussions about how fans can legitimately use and license artists’ voices and other sound bits for songs generated by artificial intelligence (AI), according to a Financial times report.
These discussions have reportedly been corroborated by four people familiar with these early-stage negotiations that evolved naturally from the rise of generative AI and the proliferation of “deepfake” or digitally manipulated music tracks that reproduce the likeness of a person’s voice. using established artist and/or lyrics.
Call for a federal “right to publicity”
Jeffrey Harleston, general counsel at UMG, appealed to Congress in July to ask for its support in passing a federal “right of publicity.” He also called for a mechanism to inform individuals that some content is AI-generated, notifying copyright owners of the presence of AI training models.
The “right of publicity” is one of many exclusive intellectual property (IP) rights granted to copyright holders that protect against the misappropriation of a person’s name, likeness or other element related to their identity – such as their voice – for commercial purposes. exploitation.
“An artist’s voice is often the most valuable part of their livelihood and public persona, and to steal it, regardless of the means, is wrong,” Harleston told lawmakers last month.
So far we’ve seen AI-generated content that has used the voices of Frank Sinatra, Drake, The Weeknd, Grimes, Paul McCartney, Ice Cube, and more, all of whom have expressed different feelings about using their voices without permission.
As for this tool currently in the works between Google and UMG, the idea is that fans can legitimately create these AI-generated tracks, paying copyright owners for using their voice, lyrics, or other sounds. . According to the financial times, Lyor Cohen, a former music director who led YouTube’s music division, has been an active participant in this initiative for Google.
However, according to representatives from both Google and UMG, artists would still be given the choice to sign up.
These issues first came to light when an AI-generated song featuring the voices of Drake and The Weeknd went viral earlier this year, forcing UMG to have the song removed from streaming platforms on the grounds of copyright infringement. UMG currently controls about a third of the global music market.
But it wasn’t until mid-April that Drake finally stood up and voiced his thoughts on AI-generated songs, stating it was “the last straw” after a video of him rapping Ice Spice’s “Munch” went viral. viral.
Warner Music & Google
Warner Music Group is also currently in talks with Google to develop a similar tool for its label and artists.
On Tuesday, Warner Music CEO Robert Kyncl told investors that if we have the “right framework in place,” AI could be a legitimate way for fans to “give the ultimate compliment to their heroes through a new level of user-driven content.” .”, including new covers, remixes and mashups.
As for Google, developing such a tool would certainly give it a competitive edge over its biggest rival, Microsoft, a leading investor in ChatGPT’s parent company OpenAi.