The Juno Awards say a controversial B次元官网网址渄eep fakeB次元官网网址� song featuring unauthorized sound-alike vocals of Drake and the Weeknd wonB次元官网网址檛 be eligible at next yearB次元官网网址檚 celebration of Canadian music.
The organizationB次元官网网址檚 president Allan Reid said that newly introduced B次元官网网址淎I EligibilityB次元官网网址� rules lay out the basics of how artificial intelligence can be used in making songs B次元官网网址� and the popular mashup of the two famed Toronto singers doesnB次元官网网址檛 meet the requirements.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址楧rake and the WeekndB次元官网网址� B次元官网网址� but thatB次元官网网址檚 not them,B次元官网网址� Reid told The Canadian Press.
B次元官网网址淭hat is not their voices; those are AI-generated voices.B次元官网网址�
Before submissions for the 2024 Junos open on Monday, leadership has clarified that eligible recordings can use AI, but that it canB次元官网网址檛 be the B次元官网网址渟ole or core componentB次元官网网址� of the project.
Exactly what that means is still up for some interpretation, Reid conceded. He described this as B次元官网网址渧ery much a learning year for usB次元官网网址� with the established rules as B次元官网网址渁 baselineB次元官网网址� to work from.
B次元官网网址淲e want to make sure that we have humans being recognized,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e canB次元官网网址檛 be awarding an AI project a Juno.B次元官网网址�
The new criteria come as the music industry contends with a fast-evolving technology thatB次元官网网址檚 flooded the internet with B次元官网网址渄eep fakeB次元官网网址� songs which use computer-generated voices that mimic the real artists.
B次元官网网址淗eart on My Sleeve,B次元官网网址� a song created by a producer who calls himself Ghostwriter and who to ReidB次元官网网址檚 understanding is not Canadian, rattled the music industry earlier this year with its convincing performances by fake versions of Drake and the Weeknd.
Its release led record industry giant Universal Music Group, distributor of both Canadian artists, to issue takedown notices to music streamers. They released a statement calling unauthorized AI-made songs B次元官网网址渁 breach of our agreements and a violation of copyright law,B次元官网网址� while the Grammys recently clarified the song would not be eligible at its awards show.
However, not every case is unauthorized.
More recently, Vancouver-born musician Grimes issued voice-modelling software that allows fans to add her to their music, as long as they split the royalties with her.
Reid says both examples could lead to different outcomes at the Junos.
B次元官网网址淗eart on My SleeveB次元官网网址� wouldB次元官网网址檝e never been eligible for the awards, he said, since its creator isnB次元官网网址檛 Canadian and neither vocalist was involved. The song also wasnB次元官网网址檛 commercially released since it was unauthorized.
Grimes is a somewhat different case, he added. Her vocals are AI-created and therefore not technically real, which means theyB次元官网网址檙e not eligible. However, if the human producer who used her voice software is Canadian then the Junos would take B次元官网网址渁 deeper lookB次元官网网址� at the case.
Submission forms do not directly ask if AI technology was used in the creation, said Liz Morgante, senior manager of the academyB次元官网网址檚 operations. However, any projects that raise questions will be reviewed by the Junos music advisory committees.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 no question AI is going to revolutionize how music is created,B次元官网网址� Reid added.
B次元官网网址淎nd with the rate that things are changing B次元官网网址� itB次元官网网址檚 hard for us to predict where things will land in the future, which is why we need to take initial steps and learn as this evolves.B次元官网网址�
The Juno Awards take place March 24, 2024 in Halifax.
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