TL;DR:
- The AI-generated song “Heart On My Sleeve” featuring Drake and The Weeknd was removed from social media platforms due to copyright infringement.
- The song was created by Ghostwriter977 using AI software to mimic the original artists’ vocals with original lyrics.
- Universal Music Group (UMG), the record label of Drake and The Weeknd, demanded the removal of the song and emphasized the need for social media platforms to prevent harm to artists through AI-generated music.
- The continued presence of the song on some platforms, including TikTok, is seen as a violation of copyright laws.
- The situation highlights the ongoing debate about the protection of artists’ rights in the digital age and the need for clear regulations for the use of AI in the music industry.
- The legal implications of AI-generated music are still uncertain, with media lawyer Edward Klaris stating that “we’re all waiting for some court’s decision.”
- Drake and The Weeknd have not commented publicly on the AI-generated song, but Drake was previously quoted as saying, “This is the final straw AI.”
Main AI News:
In a recent development, the AI-generated song “Heart On My Sleeve,” featuring Drake and The Weeknd, was removed from several social media platforms, including Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon Music, and SoundCloud, among others. The removal of the song raises questions about the application of current copyright laws to music created through artificial intelligence and without the consent of the original artists.
The song was created by Ghostwriter977, who utilized AI software to mimic the vocals of Drake and The Weeknd with original lyrics, as reported by Axios. Despite its popularity, with over 625,000 plays on Spotify and 275,000 views on YouTube, the song was taken down following demands from Universal Music Group (UMG), the record label of the original artists.
UMG expressed its disappointment with the song’s existence and emphasized the need for social media platforms to take action to prevent the harm caused to artists through such AI-generated music. In a statement to Music Business Worldwide, the label stated that “these instances demonstrate why platforms have a fundamental legal and ethical responsibility to prevent the use of their services in ways that harm artists.” The label added that it is encouraged by the engagement of social media platforms in addressing these issues, recognizing the need to be part of the solution.
The continued presence of “Heart On My Sleeve” on some social media platforms, including TikTok, has prompted UMG to assert that allowing its playback is a violation of copyright laws. The situation highlights the ongoing debate about the protection of artists’ rights in the digital age and the role of technology in shaping the future of the music industry.
The controversy surrounding the AI-generated song “Heart On My Sleeve” featuring Drake and The Weeknd highlights the challenges posed by the rapid advancement of technology in the music industry. As per Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, social media platforms are not legally liable for third-party content uploaded to their sites, but they are obliged to comply with valid copyright takedown requests.
However, the legal implications of AI-generated music are still uncertain, with media lawyer and managing partner at Klaris Law, Edward Klaris, stating, “We’re all waiting for some court’s decision that’s going to tell us whether training data is OK or not OK.” The Supreme Court could determine that the use of pre-existing songs to create new AI-generated tracks is not a violation of copyright law, given its transformative nature, or it could view it as copyright infringement.
As of yet, neither Drake nor The Weeknd has publicly commented on the AI-generated song. However, in a previous report by the BBC, Drake was quoted as saying, “This is the final straw AI,” after a fan-made video surfaced of what appeared to be him rapping to the Ice Spice song Munch (Feeling U). The situation underscores the need for clear regulations and guidelines to govern the use of AI in the music industry and protect the rights of artists.
Conlcusion:
The recent removal of the AI-generated song “Heart On My Sleeve” featuring Drake and The Weeknd highlights the ongoing challenges posed by the rapid advancement of technology in the music industry. The use of artificial intelligence in the creation of music has raised questions about the application of copyright laws, the protection of artists’ rights, and the role of social media platforms in addressing these issues.
The situation underscores the need for clear regulations and guidelines to govern the use of AI in the music industry, especially in the absence of a clear legal precedent. The outcome of this situation will likely have far-reaching implications for the future of the music industry and could shape the way in which AI-generated music is created and distributed.
