Sony has placed more than 700 AI organizations on music copyright violations

Sony Music Group has taken a broad preemptive strike against artificial intelligence, notifying AI companies that it will not allow its music to be used for model training. AI developers have been barred from using SMG's extensive catalog of music content, the New York music giant announced on Thursday in a press release titled “Opt Out of AI Training.”

In addition to publishing the statement, Sony Music Group also sent letters directly to OpenAI, Microsoft and Google, the BBC reported – the main players among more than 700 unnamed AI companies – asking them to keep their hands off Sony's content.

“We support artists and songwriters at the forefront of adopting new technologies in support of their art,” Sony Music Group acknowledged. “Changes in technology have repeatedly changed the direction of creative industries. AI may continue that long-term trend.”

“But that innovation must ensure that the rights of songwriters and artists, including copyright, are respected,” he continued.

The company's statement asked AI developers to disclose whether they previously used the work of Sony artists in model training, how they were obtained, and the number of copies made of each copyrighted track.

The Sony Music Group entities included in the statement are Sony Music Publishing (SMP), Sony Music Entertainment (SME) and their subsidiaries. All Parties expressly prohibit and opt out of “musical compositions, lyrics, sound recordings, audiovisual recordings, artwork, images, any text or data mining, web scraping or similar recordings, extraction or uses.” [and] Data… for any purpose, in connection with training, developing or marketing any AI system.

Sony, OpenEye, Google and Microsoft did not immediately respond to requests for a decryption.

Sony artists are popular targets for AI music fans as their work – produced by AI – to create similar sounding songs, including AC/DC, Michael Jackson, Celine Dion, Adele and Travis Scott. AI-generated knockoffs are rampant on YouTube, and several AI music platforms clearly feature specific artists that can be imitated.

As Sony pointed out in the statement, however, some of its artists are directly involved in the technology, including Billy Joel Jazz drummer for his single “Turn On the Lights”. Nate Smithand songwriters for Doja Cat and the Jonas brothers.

“We'll see a musician come along who finds some bridge between what AI can do and what humans can do, and that person creates something that we all look like,” Smith told New Jersey-based WBIG last summer.

For Jessica Agombar, author of the song “What's a Man Got to Do” by the Jonas Brothers, using AI is a tool, not a replacement for the original draftsman, in the creative process.

“For me, there's always art in organic songwriting and producing, putting your own voice on a record and having some bad notes and bad notes,” Agomber told the BBC in October. “Because that's rock and roll — I'm more into that than the whole pure, polished AI, computerized thing.”

In April, Sony Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Universal Music Group and Disney Music Group joined the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) in signing an agreement that limits how recording labels can use actors' voices. .

“If companies are going to use any kind of AI tool for digital sound reproduction, they need to secure the artist's written permission to do that,” union executive and chief negotiator Duncan Crabtree-Ireland told Decrypt. Not only must that be confirmed, but it must be in separate writing and cannot be part of a royalty agreement or a master performing contract.

That same month, a group of artists, including Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Pearl Jam, Jon Bon Jovi, the Jonas Brothers, Peter Frampton, Billy Porter, Zayn Malik, Darius Rucker, Imagine Dragons and Greta Van Fleet, joined the Artist Rights Alliance in Unauthorized. Signing an open letter calling for an end to their vote.

At a meeting of the US Senate Judiciary Committee, English actress and musician FKA Twigs – real name Tahlia Debret Barnett – spoke first about how AI will affect artists.

“It boils down to my spirit, my art — my brand,” she said. “I've spent years on it, and it's mine… not anyone else's to use for business or culture, or even just for fun.”

“I'm me, I'm human,” she continued, “and we have to protect that.”

Edited by Ryan Ozawa.