San Francisco, California – Major players in the music industry filed lawsuits against two emerging artificial intelligence music companies on Monday, accusing them of using copyrighted songs without permission to train their AI tools. The lawsuits, brought by record companies like Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Records, targeted Suno and Uncharted Labs, the developer of Udio, for allegedly allowing users to create songs with simple text prompts.
Mitch Glazier, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, which represents Sony, UMG, and Warner, criticized the unauthorized use of artists’ work by services like Suno and Udio, stating that it hinders the development of genuinely innovative AI technology for all users. The record companies claim that Suno and Udio utilized songs they did not have the rights to in training their AI algorithms, a practice that has sparked controversy throughout the industry.
The increasing interest in AI technology has led to a wave of pushback from authors, artists, and creators who feel their work is being exploited by AI companies for tech development. Lawsuits have been cropping up against AI firms, such as OpenAI, filed by authors, comedians, and newspapers, seeking to protect their intellectual property rights from unauthorized use in AI training.
Despite AI leaders arguing that using books, articles, and art for training falls under “fair use” in copyright law, many creators disagree, claiming that their work is being appropriated to advance tools that could potentially replace them. Suno and Udio, in particular, offer users the ability to generate entire songs based on text descriptions, raising concerns about the extent to which AI tools can replicate artists’ styles without their consent.
Musicians are now advocating for new laws to protect their likeness and musical style, with some states like Tennessee already taking action to prevent the imitation of a musician’s voice without permission. Calls for similar legislation at the federal level have been made, highlighting the need for comprehensive measures to safeguard artists’ rights amidst the growing influence of AI technology in the music industry.