Newsletter 
Sony suspects that big tech companies are using its music to train AI models and is not happy about it. Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI are among the main ones pointed out by the Japanese giant. Sony is now requesting information to investigate the situation.
One of the most controversial topics regarding generative AI is copyright. In the end, AI models are trained based on existing content, from which they can “create” new content. This is true with everything, whether it’s text, videos, or, in this case, music. Companies like Google and OpenAI already offer tools that can generate music thanks to the power of AI.
Sony wants to know if 700 companies used licensed music to train AI models
Sony represents some of the biggest and most influential artists in the music industry. As the BBC reports, the company has rights to the music of Adele and Beyonce, among many others. Now, Sony has sent a letter to more than 700 companies to find out if they have used licensed music to train AI models without authorization. The company claims to have “reason to believe” that this was the case and will seek to enforce its rights.
In the letter, Sony requests the following information from the companies:
– Details of songs it owns that were used to train AI systems
– How the songs were accessed – e.g. through online streaming services
– The number of copies made of the songs, whether the copies still exist, and how long they existed for
– Why it was necessary for such copies to exist for the amount of time they did – assuming they existed in the first place
Sony defines “copies” as even a fragment or portion of music. If music licensed by the company has been used, the letter indicates that they are willing to reach commercial agreements.
The legislation in this regard is still unclear
It’s noteworthy that the current legislation on the training of AI models is not yet totally clear or set worldwide. AI-powered services have taken the world by storm, and legislation tends to act much slower. Nana Nwachukwu (lawyer at AI ethics firm Saidot) says that using music for this purpose without permission “may constitute a copyright infringement” in EU countries.
The EU is said to be working on new legislation in this regard. According to Nwachukwu, this future legislation will include “the obligation to publicly disclose detailed summaries of the training data employed, adhering to copyright holders’ opt-outs, and ensuring that all data usage complies with EU copyright laws.”
Meanwhile, in the United States, there are some open individual cases related to the use of content for AI models without authorization. The cases are related to personalities and companies such as George RR Martin, Sarah Silverman, and Universal Music. The sentences could set key precedents for judging future similar cases.