Australia’s recorded music industry will bar tracks wholly generated by artificial intelligence from official charts, a representative said on Tuesday, as generative technologies threaten artists’ livelihoods.
The move comes after an AI-generated version of Madonna’s “Like a Prayer” spent 16 weeks in the Australian top 20, peaking at number two on the Australian Record Industry Association’s top 20 Australian singles chart in May.
From Monday next week, wholly AI-generated tracks will be banned from the ARIA charts, but some AI-assisted music will remain eligible, according to an ARIA statement.
Tracks can be eligible only if humans wrote the song and performed the lead vocal and the primary instruments, among other requirements, the statement said.
AI-generated music would also be ineligible for the Australian industry’s prestigious ARIA awards.
Annabelle Herd, ARIA chief executive, said: “These changes reflect our intent to remain dynamic and promote the human nature of artistry in what is — to say the least — a rapidly developing space.”
Herd added: “The ARIA Charts will always remain a transparent measurement of the music Australia consumes, but a chart that rewards unlicensed AI output would undercut the very basis of the recorded music we exist to represent.”
Eligible music must also be produced using legal AI services, as some music was appearing on streaming services that had apparently been developed with AI tools trained on artists’ music without authorization.
The Australian rules are in step with new principles released in July by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, which represents the recording industry worldwide.
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The international guidelines state that to qualify for official music charts, a track must be substantially human made.
Alexis Weaver, a composer and lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, told Australian Broadcasting Corp. that the debate around AI in music was “exceptionally fraught and very emotional for a lot of musicians and so everyone will have a different opinion.”
Weaver applauded ARIA’s move as a “wonderful step forward” that sent a message ARIA wanted to “prioritize and value human creativity.”
It’s clear that the role of AI in music creation will continue to be a topic of discussion, with some arguing that it can be a useful tool for artists, while others see it as a threat to their livelihoods.
In the middle of this debate, the broader context of artistic creation and how it’s impacted by technology is worth examining, as technology can be a double-edged sword, offering new possibilities for creativity, but also raising concerns about authorship and ownership, similar to issues seen with poisoned environments affecting wildlife.
For now, the Australian music industry has taken a clear stance on the issue.
The ARIA charts will continue to be a reflection of the music that Australians listen to.
The new rules will ensure that the charts remain a true representation of the country’s musical tastes.
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