Sony Music Group, the world’s largest music publisher which represents artists such as Beyonce and Adele, has cautioned over 700 companies, including Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI about potentially using its music without permission to train their AI systems. A letter, seen by Bloomberg but not publicly released, suggests the unauthorized use of Sony Music’s content. The company has also publicly stated that its music should not be used in non-consensual AI training.
In the letter, Sony asked the companies for detailed information on how they accessed the music and how many copies were made. The unauthorized use of their content in any stage of AI development was highlighted as it takes away control and due compensation from the music group and the artists. A one-month deadline has been set for responses, and the non-compliant companies may face legal action. The letter also offered an ‘invitation to engage in discussion of transparent, ethical, and responsible AI development’.
Sony Music Group CEO, Jon Platt and Neal Manowitz, the president and COO of Sony Electronics Inc. in North America, underlined these issues at the 2024 CES event in Las Vegas. They suggested that by including many companies in the letter, pressure would be put on those still in denial, as smaller companies might admit to the unauthorized use of music, which would be seen as an admission of guilt.
The debate over AI training continues as all generative AI tools which create text, images or music, depend on large datasets for learning and improvement. Often, these datasets include copyrighted work without the consent or compensation of the rights holders. Sony’s stance is backed by other big companies like The Times and individual creators across the visual arts and writing sectors.
Over 200 popular artists have also voiced their concerns about AI’s increasing influence in the music industry. They state that the ‘predatory use of AI’ is violating creators’ rights and damaging the music ecosystem, as claimed in a letter issued by the Artist Rights Alliance. Actions are being taken to combat this ‘assault on human creativity’. The possibility of lawsuits from Sony and other labels against misuse of their content for AI training may soon be a reality.
