Tennessee has just adopted a law aimed at protecting musicians in the face of the emergence of generative artificial intelligence. A first in the United States.
Popularized less than two years ago, generative AI continues to improve with ever more effective tools, particularly in the music sector. If this industry has been using technologies based on AI for many years, recent progress has revolutionized these uses.
Now, some models are able to create content themselves, including original sounds, lyrics, or entire songs. They can also copy the artists’ voices onto already existing pieces or design new ones. It is precisely on this point that Tennessee decided to legislate with the ELVIS law, to “ Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security Act “.
The music industry is very strong in Tennessee
This new legislation is actually an updated version of the state’s artists’ image rights law. The text now includes “ protections for songwriters, performers and music industry professionals against the misuse of artificial intelligence », Details the office of Governor Bill Lee in a press release. Concretely, artists are protected if their content, their image or their voice are reproduced by an AI.
It is not surprising to see this southern state addressing the issue. Home to the famous city of Nashville, Tennessee is renowned for its strong music industry, whether it’s country music or blues. It served as a springboard for the careers of some of the biggest American stars, like Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, BB King, and Taylor Swift. More than 61,000 jobs in the region are linked to this industry, while it hosts more than 4,500 concert halls.
“ Tennessee is the music capital of the world, and we are leading the nation with historic protections for Tennessee artists and songwriters against emerging AI technology », welcomed the governor.
Artists demand supervision
Generative AI, and especially the speed at which it evolves, raises many legal and intellectual property questions. Models are indeed trained on vast amounts of data, often protected by copyright. For several months, more and more artists and authors have filed complaints against the companies that develop them.
For the moment, however, no legislation really governs the use of technology. If the European Union moves forward with the AI Act, it should not come into force until 2025. Across the Atlantic, some legislators are pushing for regulations to see the light of day quickly, but Congress, polarized between Democrats and Republicans, has made little progress on the issue.
Source : Reuters
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