As AI technology rapidly infiltrates artistic fields, artists are joining forces to address potential issues before it's too late. AI-generated art is now widespread, from fake Drake songs to stylized Instagram profile pictures, and discussions on controlling this technology to prevent damage to creative communities are intensifying.
Digital rights group Fight for the Future recently collaborated with music industry labor organization United Musicians and Allied Workers to initiate #AIdayofaction, a campaign urging Congress to prevent corporations from copyrighting AI-generated music and art.
The campaign's objective is to stop industry giants, such as major record labels, from copyrighting AI-assisted music, ensuring that humans remain involved in the creative process. This concern and potential countermeasures are relevant to various creative industries.
According to Lia Holland, Campaigns and Communications Director at Fight for the Future, different creative fields have been somewhat isolated in addressing AI-related concerns. The #AIdayofaction aims to demonstrate that these concerns are shared across artistic mediums and to empower artists by uniting them.
While the campaign focuses on potential corporate misuse of AI, it acknowledges that individual musicians and creatives may benefit from automating aspects of their work. The goal is to enable AI tools to help individuals earn more, work less, and compete with exploitative corporations.
Holland notes that musicians, in particular, are familiar with AI's potential, as they often use music production software and tools like MIDI drum loops. This familiarity can lead to a more progressive approach to technology and its ability to enhance their music.
The conversation surrounding art and AI is complex. Musicians worry about being excluded from the creative process, while major record labels fear AI models training on their catalogs and taking a share of their revenue. Spotify removed thousands of AI-crafted songs from its platform but also launched a global AI-powered DJ feature that curates music and communicates with listeners using a synthetic voice.
Universal Music Group raised questions about the ethics of using AI-generated music after a fake song imitating its artists, Drake and The Weeknd, went viral.
Artists from various disciplines are discovering that their voices carry more weight when they join together to combat the wide-ranging exploitation of their work. The FTC recently hosted a roundtable with representatives from creative industries to discuss the impact of generative AI on their fields.
FTC Chair Lina Khan stated that generative AI presents unique opportunities and challenges for creative industries. She noted that creators and artists may see their work used in AI models without their control. Participants discussed concerns about opt-out requirements, which can train AI models on original work, and the potential for copyright law to provide regulatory guidelines.
An FTC commissioner emphasized that art is fundamentally human and cannot be replaced by AI, no matter how intelligent it becomes.