In the music sector, the use of artificial intelligence is raising fears that artists will be replaced by algorithms. What makes the Grammy Awards position themselves ahead of their next edition?
The Recording Academy, the professional organization that presents these music awards each year, recently updated the Grammys eligibility requirements to protect human creation. They now state that only real artists can compete for a gramophone. Under these new criteria, a “work that does not contain a human author is not eligible in any category” of the Grammy Awards.
However, the American association stipulates that musical works containing “AI elements” may be entitled to a gramophone, albeit under certain conditions. Therefore, “the human author’s contribution to the work submitted for approval must be significant and more than minimal” and also “relevant” to the category in which that work competes. In other words, a track competing in the Songwriting category must have “significant and greater than minimal human authorship” in relation to its music and/or lyrics.
At a time when songs generated by artificial intelligence raise many questions about respect for intellectual property, the new Grammys rules indicate that the creator(s) of these algorithms are not entitled to a gramophone.
These new eligibility criteria apply to the 66th annual Grammy Awards, which will be held in Los Angeles next year. No nominees have yet been announced and no one knows if artificial intelligence will interfere with the music industry’s most popular awards show.
Fad or true revolution?
However, there is no doubt that the intrusion of this new technology is already revolutionizing the sector. A fake song by Drake and The Weeknd composed using artificial intelligence has generated millions of views on TikTok, while French DJ David Guetta used two AI tools to write a song that features the voice and style of American Rapper’s Eminem mimics. He posted a short snippet of it on social media just for fun, while explaining that he has no intention of commercializing the title.
Should we see a fad or the sign of a real revolution in music creation? The question is still being debated. To all appearances, no song produced by AI software can compete with the song composed by human artists. But they increase the catalogs of music streaming platforms, to the great displeasure of artists who are already struggling to be visible and, above all, to be heard.
The prospect of an AI-dominated music industry is forcing artists, record companies, streaming services and professional organizations to act. In March, the Recording Academy was among the signatories of a widely publicized open letter calling for a six-month “pause” in AI software development. A symbolic move that underscores the need to regulate the music industry’s use of these programs, according to Harvey Mason, director of the Recording Academy. “AI will undoubtedly shape the future of our industry. “The idea of being caught off guard and not caring is unacceptable,” he said in an interview published on the Grammys website.