World's biggest music labels sue over AI copyright

The world's largest music labels are taking legal action against two artificial intelligence (AI) start-ups, accusing them of copyright infringement. Major companies like Sony Music, Universal Music Group, and Warner Records claim that Suno and Udio have unlawfully copied their music to create new songs. They are seeking $150,000 in damages for each song that was allegedly copied. Suno did not respond to requests for comment, while Udio stated that they are not interested in reproducing existing content. The lawsuits were announced by the Recording Industry Association of America and are part of a broader wave of legal challenges from authors, news organizations, and other groups against AI firms using their work without permission. Suno, based in Massachusetts, launched its first product last year and claims that over 10 million people have used its tool to create music. The company has a partnership with Microsoft and recently secured $125 million in funding from investors. Udio, based in New York and known as Uncharted Labs, is backed by prominent venture capital firms like Andreessen Horowitz. It released its app to the public in April and quickly gained attention for creating a parody track related to a feud between artists Kendrick Lamar and Drake. AI companies have argued that their use of copyrighted material is legitimate under the fair use doctrine, which allows for the use of copyrighted works without a license under certain conditions, such as for satire and news. Supporters of AI compare machine learning to the way humans learn by reading, hearing, and seeing previous works. Udio stated that its system is designed to generate new musical ideas and has implemented filters to ensure it does not reproduce copyrighted works or artists' voices. They believe that generative AI will become a mainstay of modern society. However, the record labels argue that the AI companies are simply profiting from copying songs. They claim that the AI models have no purpose other than to create new, competing music files. The complaints state that Suno and Udio produce songs that even dedicated fans of bands like ABBA would struggle to distinguish from authentic recordings. Songs cited in the Udio lawsuit include Mariah Carey's All I Want for Christmas is You and My Girl by The Temptations. The record labels assert that the AI companies' actions are commercially motivated and threaten the genuine human artistry that copyright laws are designed to protect. They warn that the widespread copying of recordings poses a threat to the entire music ecosystem. The lawsuits come just months after approximately 200 artists signed a letter calling for an end to the 'predatory' use of AI in the music industry.