NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The use of artificial intelligence is becoming more widespread, and now some companies are landing in hot water.
Last month, the Recording Industry Association of America filed a lawsuit against developers of AI song generators for copyright infringement.
Lance Yarlott, a passionate musician, shared his thoughts on the matter.
“Shouldn’t it be about the joy of making things and that hard work you put into it?” Yarlott said.
You can hear more from Yarlott and about AI in the player above.
His band prepared for their last rehearsal before recording in a studio on Middle Tennessee State University’s campus. Many songs come to life in a recording studio, however, they are no longer the only option.
There's been a surge of people using AI song generators from start-up companies like Suno and Udio.
Last month, the Recording Industry Association of America filed a lawsuit against the companies for copyright infringement.
RIAA is alleging they exploit artists' recorded works by using copyrighted material without permission, and it's an infringement.
MTSU copyright law professor and entertainment attorney Denise Shackelford explained the legal issues.
“RIAA is alleging they are infringing on the sound recording copyright, which is what the record labels own," Shackelford said. "These platforms are using all this copyrighted material to train their AI platforms in how to generate works that are based on these other works by artists.”
These AI companies are arguing fair use.
“People forget sometimes fair use isn’t a right. It’s a defense against infringement,” Shackelford said.
Yarlott, who studied electrical computer engineering, said he understands the benefits of AI. However, he said he believes AI cannot replace the authenticity of human-created music.
“It’s interesting and fun to play around with, but at the same time, if you’re going to make something, you should make it yourself,” Yarlott said.
Shackelford noted that the U.S. Copyright Office issued guidance on AI-generated work usage last year.
"Essentially, they said a machine-only AI-generated work isn’t protected, but if a human adds to it, takes away, tweaks parts, or changes it, those can be copyrighted. This week bi-partisan legislation was introduced in D.C. to implement some recommendations from the copyrights office," Shackelford said.
This year, Tennessee became the first state to protect musicians and other artists against AI, thanks to the Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act, or ELVIS Act for short.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com.
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