AI-generated music that mimics one other artist has been a significant difficulty within the music business. In 2023, a track titled ‘Heart on My Sleeve’ was launched on a number of streaming platforms. The track’s description claimed it was carried out by Drake and the Weeknd, nevertheless, it was AI-generated. Despite being a deepfake (an AI-generated media created in one other particular person’s likeness with out consent), the track gained recognition and was even submitted for Grammy consideration.
Many such situations have resulted within the music business urging governments to enhance the regulatory framework round AI. Some main labels have additionally filed lawsuits in opposition to AI corporations allegedly coaching giant language fashions (LLMs) on copyrighted materials.
Now, with the expanded licensing settlement, Meta and UMG have dedicated to working collectively to deal with unauthorised AI-generated content material to guard human artists and songwriters. The announcement didn’t reveal additional particulars on the steps the businesses plan to take to minimise the chance of music deepfakes.
The expanded deal additionally marks the primary time UMG has partnered with Meta to licence music for WhatsApp. This may result in new options for the immediate messaging app sooner or later enabling customers to entry and use copyrighted songs in numerous methods. While at the moment only a hypothesis, this might additionally pave the way in which for Reels to debut on WhatsApp, much like the way it was built-in inside Facebook.
Apart from WhatsApp, the deal may even enable all different Meta platforms comparable to Facebook, Instagram, and Threads in addition to Horizon, the platform for its mixed-reality headsets to make use of UMG-licenced music. Notably, the 2 firms first signed a deal in 2017, and the present settlement expands the deal each by way of period and scope.
