Major record labels, including Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Records, have filed lawsuits against two AI music startups, Suno and Uncharted Labs — the developer of Udio — accusing them of using copyrighted songs to train their AI tools.
These legal actions add to the growing number of lawsuits confronting the AI industry.
Mitch Glazier, CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America, representing the music companies, criticized Suno and Udio for allegedly exploiting artists’ works without permission or compensation, thereby hindering true innovation in AI.
Generative AI technologies like those employed by Suno and Udio derive from large datasets of human-created content. The lawsuits claim that these startups used copyrighted songs without proper authorization during the training of their AI algorithms. Representatives from Suno and Udio declined to comment on the allegations.
This legal battle reflects broader tensions between the AI industry and content creators across various fields, including authors, artists, and musicians. Many creators argue that AI companies’ use of their work for training purposes violates copyright laws, despite AI proponents often citing “fair use” as justification.
Suno and Udio allow users to create songs by inputting text descriptions, specifying genres, lyrics, and instruments. While Suno blocks requests for songs mimicking specific artists like Dolly Parton, Udio does not, demonstrating capabilities that some find concerning in terms of replicating artist styles without permission.
In response to these concerns, some musicians and lawmakers have advocated for new legislation to protect artistic styles and likenesses. For example, legislators in Tennessee and at the federal level have proposed laws prohibiting the unauthorized use of musicians’ voices or styles in AI-generated content.
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