The American Artists Rights Alliance has voiced strong concerns about the use of neural networks in music, highlighting a growing unease within the industry. This stance was echoed in reports from Hollywood Reporter, which underscores a broader debate about how artificial intelligence interacts with creative work.
An open letter calling for stronger protections for music in the age of artificial intelligence was signed by nearly two hundred musicians. Among the names publicly associated with the appeal are Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, and Camila Cabello. The authors urge creators of electronic music to minimize their reliance on neural networks when crafting new material, so as not to undermine the rights and livelihoods of living composers and performers.
Signatories warn that music generated by neural networks can reproduce digital copies of real artists’ voices, or be used to bypass traditional copyright protections. This raises questions about who owns a performance or a vocal signature when a machine imitates a living musician, and how royalties should be fairly distributed in a landscape where algorithms can imitate or remix established voices.
In a statement attributed to the alliance, executive director Jen Jacobsen stressed that, in the streaming era, many musicians are already fighting to sustain their careers. The statement argues that the influx of neural network-created content adds a new burden, pitting human performances against machine-generated noise. It is suggested that the unethical deployment of AI to replace live performers could devalue the entire music ecosystem for both artists and audiences alike.
Despite the concerns, the letter also acknowledges a constructive possibility: when used with care and clear boundaries, artificial intelligence can serve as a powerful tool for composers and lyricists, enriching the creative process rather than eroding it. The authors emphasize that AI technology can assist writers in exploring new sonic textures, but only if its use respects the rights of creators and maintains transparent authorship and licensing practices.
The list of supporters extended beyond the core group, including acts like Sam Smith, Jon Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, REM, and the actress Kate Hudson, among others. Their signatures signal a broad industry conversation about responsible AI usage in music and the need for clear guidelines that protect artistic integrity and financial viability for performers and writers alike. In related remarks, actress Alena Yakovleva, daughter of Yuri Yakovlev, who starred in the famous comedy Ivan Vasilievich Changes His Profession, stated a firm opposition to recreating her father’s voice through neural networks, pointing to the ethical and personal dimensions of this debate. On a broader commercial note, the piece mentions that Taylor Swift’s financial trajectory has captured attention in discussions about the monetization of music in the AI era, illustrating how AI intersects with celebrity, market power, and revenue models in the industry.