Why is Universal Music Group asking streaming services to block AI-generated music?

In another case of copyright violation allegations against artificial intelligence (AI) systems, the Universal Music Group (UMG) has asked streaming services like Spotify and Apple to block AI services from using melodies and lyrics from copyrighted songs, a report by Financial Times reveals. After publishers, designers and coders, the Financial Times report highlights that even the music industry has now raised concerns about the unauthorized use of original melodies to train AI bots, which then generate tunes, music that sound similar to the songs of the original artists. Speaking to Financial Times, an anonymous source said, “Much of [generative AI] is trained on popular music. You could say: compose a song that has the lyrics to be like Taylor Swift, but the vocals to be in the style of Bruno Mars, but I want the theme to be more Harry Styles. The output you get is due to the fact the AI has been trained on those artists’ intellectual property.” As per the report, UMG has sent multiple requests via emails to companies urging them to block access to their music catalogue for AI developers involved in training the bots. In March, the music company, which works with Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Coldplay, Billie Eilish and Badshah among others, has also warned platforms that, if need be, it may take necessary action to protect the rights of the artists. Why it matters: The kind of data used to train generative AI systems is emerging as a critical point of contention between…