Tennessee House advances ELVIS Act to protect musicians from AI infringement

The Tennessee House Banking and Consumer Affairs Subcommittee introduced new legislation on February 13 in an effort to protect musicians from attacks by artificial intelligence (AI).

The Audio and Video Security Act (HB 2091), also known as ELVIS, was introduced by state Governor Bill Lee in January 2024. .

ELVIS advocates on behalf of the state's music community, although it applies to all residents of the state of Tennessee. It was also supported by state Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Majority Leader William Lambert.

Nashville, the capital of the state of Tennessee, is one of the top three locations for music industry activity in the United States. According to data from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the music industry in Nashville contributes $5.5 billion to the local economy, which is $9.7 billion for the Nashville area as a whole.

Therefore, the introduction of the LVS Act by representatives in the state of Tennessee is of great importance to its working population.

During the subcommittee hearing, lawmakers heard testimony from singer and actress Chrissy Metz, Nashville Songwriters Guild board member and songwriter Jamie Moore, and RIAA senior vice president of public policy Jesse Richards.

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Speaking of ELVIS LAW, the “speed of light” development and the development of generative AI have the potential to “end the music business as we know it”.

“When a machine takes songs born from a lifetime of experience and releases a fake version that an artist never gave permission to sing, without permission or payment, that's wrong, that's theft, and we need to protect it.”

Noting the importance of music in the “fabric” of the local culture and economy, he says, “It's no wonder Tennessee is at the forefront of protecting creators, telling the rest of the world that human creativity is important and should be protected against those who seek to rob it.”

“The ELVIS Act modernizes Tennessee law by adding the word ‘voice,' making it clear that unauthorized AI-generated fake recordings are subject to legal action in the state of Tennessee.”

RIAA's Richard said, “It's worth emphasizing that the ELVIS Act applies to everyone. All Tennesseans deserve to have their voices and images protected, and this bill will ensure that.

The subcommittee's approval of the bill came after support from nearly 300 creators, including Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., over a federal law called the AI ​​Fraud Act, which would affect similar protections for artists in context. AI.

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