As the creative industries simultaneously grapple with AI’s explosive impact on all artistic mediums, separate calls from artists are beginning to gather, warning the world to take action before it’s too late. From fake Drake songs to stylized profile pictures on Instagram, art created with new and sophisticated AI tools suddenly became ubiquitous and caused irreparable harm to creative communities. So are conversations about how to rein in technology.
This week, digital rights organization Fight for the Future launched in partnership with music industry labor group United Musicians and Allied Workers. #idayofaction, A campaign asking Congress to block companies from acquiring copyrights to music and other art created by AI.
The idea is to prevent industry giants, such as major record labels, from protecting the copyright of music made with the help of AI, so that they can’t involve humans in the creative process. It’s about being forced to continue. But these same concerns, and similar potential strategies to counter the onslaught of AI, exist across the creative industries.
“The funny thing is, when I talk to musicians who have these concerns, they say, “Well, the writers have been so silent.” When I talk to other people about these concerns, “ Musicians and photographers don’t seem to care at all.” ” Let’s fight for the future Leah Holland, Director of Campaigns and Communications, told TechCrunch. “So part of it is that different creative disciplines are a little bit siled when it comes to this kind of work.”
“This was another intention in launching this effort on Day of Action, to illustrate that these are common concerns shared across art mediums. And to make a point of organizing… Because when artists from different mediums work together, they have more power.”
While the campaign targets the potential misuse of AI technology by companies, it is realistic about how musicians and other creators can benefit on a personal level by automating parts of their jobs. The goal is for AI tools to “empower individuals to make more money, work less time, and compete with companies that exploit AI tools.”
“From a music perspective, this is really interesting because…musicians are probably more familiar with AI concepts,” Holland said. “Musicians are generally familiar with music production software and AI tools like MIDI drum loops, so I think there’s been some progressive learning from them when it comes to technology and their capabilities. The music is better.”
When it comes to art and AI, the conversation is complex, to say the least. Musicians are concerned about industry giants protecting the copyrights of AI music and excluding it from the process. Major record labels are I have concerns about AI models Train with their catalog and steal a piece of their sizable pie. Spotify has been erased Thousands of songs created by AI In addition to its platform, the company recently globally released an AI-powered DJ that curates music for listeners while speaking to them in a synthetic voice.
“Training generative AI using artists’ music…begs the question of which side of history all stakeholders in the music ecosystem want to be on: the side of artists, fans, and human creative expression, or the side of deepfakes.” Do you want to be on my side?’, fraud, and denial of fair compensation to artists,” Universal Music Group says after using AI to spread songs that imitated two artists, Drake and The Weeknd. said in response.
These same conversations and contradictions are evident across the creative industry, but artists themselves are not always at the table. Independent artists in particular find that their voices are heard louder when they come together across disciplines to resist what Holland calls an “extraordinary range of exploitation” of their work. are learning.
in Roundtable sponsored by FTC This week, the agency brought together stakeholders from all creative industries, from voice acting and science fiction to screenwriting, music, illustration, and even fashion, to take a closer look at how generative AI is impacting creativity.
“We know that generative AI in particular presents a unique set of opportunities and challenges for the creative industries,” said FTC Chair Lina Khan. “We believe that these technologies, virtually overnight, will significantly disenfranchise creators and artists who may see their life’s creations appropriated into models over which they have no control. We have already heard serious concerns that it could be taken away.”
In comments, representatives from countless creative communities argued that existing copyright laws are not comprehensive enough to create regulatory guardrails, such as opt-out requirements that train AI models based on artists’ original work by default. expressed concern that it could be a useful tool, even if it is not.
In the conversation, a WGA representative stressed that while the striking artists gained protection for themselves in the newly won agreement, the fight for artists’ livelihoods “doesn’t stop at the negotiating table.” .
Regardless of whether Congress reacts in time to growing concerns about AI and the creative industries, the FTC appears to be very focused on the risks of the technology and the ability to bring voices together across the industry.
“Art is fundamentally human,” said FTC Commissioner Rebecca Slaughter.
“Humans may use technology to assist in the creation of art, but nothing can become art without human input. By definition, technology is not human…human. may strive to create more intelligent generative AI. [but] Human creativity cannot and will not be replaced. ”