Sony Music Warns AI Developers Not to Use Its Content for Training
Sony Music Group is sending out warnings to around 700 AI developers and music streaming services, cautioning them against using its content to train AI. These warnings come in the form of “opt-out” letters, obtained by Variety, which state that developers must obtain explicit permission to use Sony Music's content and highlight the possibility of existing violations.
The letters specifically instruct companies not to utilize Sony Music's content for training, developing, or commercializing any AI systems. They request a detailed description of how the content was accessed, reproduced, or extracted, whether by the company itself, its affiliates, or third parties acting on its behalf.
Declaration of AI Training Opt-Out
In a "Declaration of AI Training Opt-Out" statement on its websites, Sony Music Group and its affiliates explicitly prohibit text or data mining, web scraping, or similar procedures without specific authorization. This includes musical compositions, lyrics, audio recordings, artwork, and data for any AI-related purposes.
Sources suggest that Sony Music is currently negotiating with streaming platforms to update their terms of service, explicitly banning the mining and scraping of Sony Music's content.
EU AI Act Compliance
The opt-out claims are believed to be a response to the European Union's recently-passed AI Act, which mandates that AI developers disclose the content used to train their models publicly.
Sony Music's proactive approach highlights the growing importance of protecting intellectual property in the rapidly evolving landscape of AI development and deployment.
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