The lawsuits claim that music generated by these services can sound remarkably similar to copyrighted music, and that authentic producer tags have appeared on some of the music produced. The RIAA alleges that users have generated sounds similar to numerous artist-made songs and produced vocals indistinguishable from famous recording artists. The music industry sees AI as a potential threat and is aiming to protect artists' rights and their own profits. The cases against Suno and Uncharted Labs were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts and the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, respectively.
Key takeaways:
- The world’s biggest record labels, represented by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), are suing two artificial intelligence startups, Suno AI and Uncharted Labs Inc., alleging that these companies are unlawfully training their AI models on copyrighted sound recordings.
- The RIAA is seeking damages of as much as $150,000 “per work infringed,” which could potentially amount to billions of dollars.
- Suno AI and Uncharted Labs Inc. are among a new crop of startups that use generative AI to automate the music-making process, generating human-sounding music based on written prompts.
- The legal challenge from the music industry is the latest example of technology colliding with creative industries as generative AI is increasingly used to churn out all kinds of content, leading to debates about copyright law and fair use.