Google, Universal in talks to license AI-generated music
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The news: Tech giant Google and Universal Music are in talks to license artists’ voices and melodies for songs generated by artificial intelligence, the Financial Times reports.
The numbers: A potential deal could be similar to Google-owned Youtube’s existing agreement that pays the music industry $US2 billion ($3.06 billion) a year for videos generated by its users. It would also help Google compete with tech rival Microsoft, which invested $US10 billion in OpenAI, owner of the AI model GPT-4.
The context: The talks seek to strike a partnership for the music industry, which is grappling with the implications of new AI technology, and monetise one of its biggest threats. The rise of AI has led to a surge in 'deepfake' songs that can convincingly mimic the voices, lyrics or sound of established artists, often without their consent. Artists would have a choice to opt into the process.
The sources: Reuters, Financial Times
