The below is a guest post by Gee Davy, interim CEO and chief policy officer at the Association of Independent Music (AIM). You can read our guest post policy here.
WIN – the Worldwide Independent Network – recently released guidance, seeking responsible development of generative AI (GenAI) in music.
The music industry has released a number of statements and approaches to GenAI in recent months, from the UK Music Manifesto, to Sony Music’s open letter and legal boilerplate, to the widely supported Human Artistry Campaign. So why has WIN released this guidance now?
Through independent music trade associations across the world, WIN represents a global community of independent music companies and entrepreneurs, whose commonality is in being ethical artist-first music businesses.
Like WIN’s community, AI is also a global phenomenon which has the power to change the way we all live and work, no matter in which country we are located or where we release music.
AI experts I speak to agree that we have a short window of opportunity to avoid the potential for seismic economic, developmental and creative harm to artists and the businesses and workers who nurture and invest in them.
We will need the help of astute policymakers to plug any holes revealed or created by the rapid growth in GenAI availability in the public space. They should be assured that protecting creativity to avoid the well documented potential harms will not in any way hinder desired societal improvements such as scientific advances, improved security, and enhanced healthcare.
The EU has recognised this by creating the world’s first bespoke AI law, the EU AI Act, which will shortly start to come into force and contains helpful provisions to ensure AI develops transparently.
There is also ongoing activity in the US around ‘no-fakes’ laws and the UK has seen a proposal on AI regulation law debated in Parliament. Depending on the outcomes of a wave of AI lawsuits in progress across the Atlantic, there are expected to be new legal precedents on use of creative materials in training and creation of outputs from GenAI.
While some nations are putting frameworks in place around GenAI, in other parts of the world this is a lower priority or not yet even on the radar. To ensure a truly globally inclusive and diverse future for great music, WIN’s global independent membership sees the need for a joined-up approach to policies around GenAI.
This is why WIN’s principles call for cross-border consistency and global high standards. Clarity and consistency are needed to aid developers and support all those involved in releasing music around the world without leaving anyone out.
Fundamental elements, such as clarity that prior consent is needed for the use of music in training GenAI, ensuring consumer and creator safety in all aspects of GenAI, building transparency into systems and bias out of them, and developing GenAI with respect for artists, their music and their rights, should be standard worldwide, no matter where music is created or enjoyed.
WIN’s guidance also calls for a collaborative approach between music and GenAI developers as being crucial to creating the best conditions for responsible GenAI development in and with music.
Collaboration is a key part of the success and continued growth of the global independent music sector. Independents achieve scale and create opportunities by banding together to keep markets open and fair, as well as working in partnership across disparate music markets to bring great music to new audiences. In the experience of independents, collaboration invariably leads to better understanding and the best outcomes.
I’ve seen this myself in developing AIM’s ‘Ideas Exchange’ sessions, where independent music professionals come together with those in technology and digital services to share ideas and learn from each other.
This has led to meaningful connections, fostering new opportunities, better understanding and mutually beneficial projects. Developers can identify red flags at an early stage and ensure new products fit a real need, will land well and will have a knowledgeable audience.
Through initiatives like these as well as their own efforts, AIM members are reporting positive experiences with some GenAI tools and systems which look to enhance human creativity and aid creative businesses.
Many of the best developers have a clear passion for music, with some systems created by musicians, producers and others who are actively involved in music themselves.
Others appreciate that their expertise is in technology and not in fostering music talent or building long term music careers and seek out opportunities to collaborate with the music sector in order to ensure positive outcomes.
However, some of the biggest companies developing GenAI have not constructively engaged with the music sector to find positive outcomes which help to support music and musicians. Instead, they seem to prefer to spend their time and money in the courts.
The music industry surely has legal complexities but there exists a functioning worldwide market of digital services, tools and platforms operating today who have managed to navigate by engaging, and operate under negotiated licences.
The music sector has a long history of innovating and developing new workable licensing models where none exist in the first instance. For AI developers, with sometimes multi-million-dollar investment, it should be entirely manageable to do this the right way.
I’m a technology optimist. I studied an engineering degree in the early days of public adoption of the Internet and I’ve enjoyed being involved in the democratisation, connection and creativity that it has created.
My experience of technology and developers is that it is a field full of enthusiastic, visionary, creative people, just like music. GenAI in music has the potential to be exciting and creatively enhancing if it can be developed in a safe, respectful and ethical way.
This is why we need a joined-up approach globally. That’s how we can celebrate and engage with the good operators.
WIN has provided a roadmap to achieve this. For policymakers to support innovation in both technology and local culture and assist their creative economy. For the global independent community to have a clear and empowered voice on GenAI. And for GenAI developers to constructively connect with the innovative global independent music sector and help drive forward future generations of groundbreaking music.
I’m looking forward to being part of that journey.
