Canadian synth-pop artist Grimes has made a bold move to open up her voice to AI artists without any copyright concerns. In a tweet, she announced that she would split 50% royalties with any successful AI-generated song that uses her voice, just like any other artist she collaborates with. She also mentioned that she has no label or legal bindings, so there is no need to worry about legal enforcement.
Grimes’ announcement comes at a time when streaming platforms have been removing AI-generated songs that use the simulated voices of popular artists like Drake and The Weeknd. Universal Music Group (UMG), which represents both artists, called for the purge, claiming that publishing a song trained on its artists’ voices was a breach of their agreements and a violation of copyright law. In contrast, Grimes takes a much more open approach, stating that she thinks it’s cool to fuse her voice with a machine and that she likes the idea of open-sourcing all art and killing copyright.
Grimes is no stranger to AI, having collaborated with mood music startup Endel to launch an AI-generated lullaby app in 2020. She was inspired to create a better sleeping situation for her son and has also predicted that generative AI could mean the end of human art, once AI can master science and art, which could happen in the next 10 to 30 years.
Generative AI is already disrupting numerous industries, including visual art, writing, online media, and voiceover work. Its sudden arrival and rapid improvements within the past year have set off numerous legal, ethical, and copyright debates. While the US Copyright Office stated that AI art, including music, stemming from a text prompt couldn’t be copyrighted, it left the door open to granting copyright protections to works with AI-generated elements.
Grimes’ offer to split royalties with any successful AI-generated song using her voice is an exciting development that could lead to new forms of art and creativity. The only question left is what defines a “successful” AI song using her voice, but Grimes is already working on a program that can simulate her voice well and plans to upload stems and samples for others to train their own AI models. As we continue to navigate the exciting and complex world of AI-generated art, Grimes’ approach offers a refreshing and forward-thinking perspective.
