According to Daily Mail, the music industry is facing a new wave of challenges and controversies as artificial intelligence technology is being used to create music and performances involving deceased artists. Recent developments include the use of AI to generate new songs and performances featuring legendary musicians, raising concerns about copyright, ethics, and the impact on the music industry as a whole.
One example involves a computer-generated video showing John Lennon, who passed away more than 40 years ago, singing a new song titled “Everybody But You.” The AI-generated performance has garnered positive reviews and has even been compared to the work of The Beatles. The artist behind the song, using the pseudonym Kid Klava, admitted to using AI to create a performance from Lennon’s vocals without permission from his estate.
This trend has sparked alarm within the music industry, with concerns about copyright infringement, the potential exploitation of deceased artists’ legacies, and the overall impact on the creative process. Label executives worry that the use of AI-generated performances could undermine the industry’s foundation and raise ethical questions about the rights and control of artists’ work.
‘I realised I can get John to sing it for me! And why not get Paul on backing vocals while I’m at it?’
The controversy surrounding AI-generated music isn’t limited to deceased artists. Sting, for example, has criticized the use of AI to compose new songs, emphasizing that the essence of music belongs to human creativity. Additionally, the entertainment industry is currently experiencing strikes by actors and writers who are protesting against the potential use of AI technology to replace them in film and television productions.
It threatens to undermine everything that the music industry was set up to do.
‘But also you have to spare a thought for the surviving family members of people such as John Lennon, because his legend status is being used to make money for others. It seems entirely wrong and open to huge abuse.’
