Just under 80% of UK music creators are concerned about AI-generated music competing with human-created music, according to a new survey by collecting society PRS For Music. Meanwhile, in a different study undertaken by ISM, 73% of musicians surveyed said they believe unregulated generative AI threatens their ability to earn a living.
Both studies come as the UK government still considers what approach to take around copyright and AI, and whether or not to allow AI companies to make use of existing creative works, including music, without getting permission from and paying any money to creators and rightsholders. Having undertaken a massive consultation on the issue a year ago, ministers have promised to set out their plans in March.
Obviously, generative AI isn’t going anywhere, and creators and performers have to adapt to a world in which it exists. Indeed, many artists and songwriters have started making use of AI tools themselves. However, the position of both PRS and ISM - and other organisations across the music industry - is clear: AI companies should be forced to respect copyright and license any existing music that they use.
ISM’s study - called ‘Brave New World?’ - has been produced in partnership with organisations representing authors, actors, illustrators and photographers. It says that AI companies, and lawmakers and regulators, should adhere to a ‘CLEAR’ framework. That stands for: Consent first; Licensing, not scraping; Ethical use of training data; Accountability; and Remuneration and rights.
ISM CEO Deborah Annetts says, “Generative AI is having an enormously damaging impact on the jobs of our musicians and more generally our creators. Our new report shows this in a detail not published before”.
The government needs to urgently act to protect musicians and creators, she adds, concluding, “we need fairness for creators at the heart of our AI policies, and the CLEAR framework would deliver that. Ministers should read ‘Brave New World’ carefully and act”.
PRS surveyed more than 2600 of its members. 76% said that AI has the potential to negatively affect their livelihoods - 7% more than when PRS did a similar survey in 2023 - while the vast majority - 92% - said AI companies should be more transparent about how their models generate music.
PRS Chief Strategy Officer John Mottram says, “It is clear why creators are concerned. Tech firms train models on copyright works without permission or payment, building commercial services designed to compete with or replace the human creators”.
“Music creators are already using AI to find new ways to enhance their creativity, but it is up to policymakers to make sure that livelihoods are protected, not diminished to cater to big tech”, he adds. “We will continue to champion the value of songwriters’ and composers’ works and advocate for a future where innovation and artistry can thrive together”.