US ‘No Fakes Act’ Seeks to Protect Singers From Unauthorized AI Voices

US senators have proposed legislation called the ‘No Fakes Act’ aimed at outlawing unauthorized digital replicas of artists’ voices and likenesses created by AI.

As AI generative technology advances, concerns grow over potential misuse in the music industry. The act responds to fears of AI “deepfakes” replicating artists without consent.

The No Fakes Act would make it illegal at the federal level to produce a digital replica of someone’s voice or image without permission. Exceptions could be granted for parody, commentary, and other protected speech categories.

Currently, likeness laws differ by US state. A federal standard would enable legal recourse against unauthorized AI mimicry nationwide.

The bill comes as groups like ASCAP and IMPF rally for safeguarding musicians from harmful AI applications. They want a framework ensuring AI assists rather than replaces human creativity.

While promising, AI also poses risks like deepfakes that could damage artists’ reputations or commercial opportunities. A recent viral Drake/Weeknd duet was entirely AI-generated without their participation.

The No Fakes Act represents lawmakers’ first step toward regulating AI’s complex relationship with music. It focuses specifically on clarifying vocal and visual likeness rights.

Broader protections will require establishing new protocols around AI training, ownership of machine-created works, proper attribution, and compensation. But this starts the process.

A2IM CEO Richard James Burgess said the act helps “ensure that artists can make a living and labels can recoup investments” as AI transforms music.

Under this act, artists could potentially opt-in to license their voice or image for approved AI uses. This mirrors how actors are monetizing digital likenesses.

Or artists could altogether refuse AI replication without consent. Having these rights enshrined in federal law grants musicians more control.

Of course, enforcement and abuse prevention remains a challenge with democratized AI tools. And not all support restricting AI creativity like the anonymous artist ‘Ghostwriter’ behind the Drake/Weeknd deepfake.

Ghostwriter believes AI music without permission can jumpstart progress, just as unauthorized file-sharing enabled streaming’s rise.

But protecting real artists must be balanced with AI innovation. The No Fakes Act indicates US legislators intend to shape an equitable relationship between human talent and machine creativity.

While an incremental move, it’s a welcome sign of government awareness of AI’s disruptive force. How this act and future regulations take form will significantly impact music’s future.

We’ll be watching closely how the bill progresses and whether it can effectively establish artists’ protections in the age of AI.

 Recent