More than 200 artists including Billie Eilish, Kacey Musgraves and R.E.M have signed onto an open letter condemning the use of artificial intelligence to create music.
The Artist Rights Alliance called on "AI developers, technology companies, platforms, and digital music services to cease the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to infringe upon and devalue the rights of human artists" in the note distributed on Tuesday, April 2.
"The assault on human creativity must be stopped," the open letter reads. "We must protect against the predatory use of AI to steal professional artists' voices and likenesses, violate creators’ rights, and destroy the music ecosystem."
Other signees include Kacey Musgraves, Metro Boomin, Jason Isbell, Chuck D, Tech N9ne and the estate of Bob Marley.
The letter isn't completely opposed to AI: "We believe that, when used responsibly, AI has enormous potential to advance human creativity and in a manner that enables the development and growth of new and exciting experiences for music fans everywhere."
But the note says that's not what's happening right now.
"Unfortunately, some platforms and developers are employing AI to sabotage creativity and undermine artists, songwriters, musicians and rightsholders," the letter says.
"When used irresponsibly, AI poses enormous threats to our ability to protect privacy, our identities, our music and our livelihoods."
Other signees include Elvis Costello, Metro Boomin, Jason Isbell, Chuck D, Tech N9ne and the estate of Bob Marley.
The open letter comes just days after Tennessee passed a new Elvis Presley-themed law protecting musicians and their voices from unauthorized AI deep fakes.
The Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security (ELVIS) Act added an individual's voice to the state's Protection of Personal Rights law, which already covers a person's name, photograph or likeness.
The bill was praised by music industry figures, including country artist Luke Bryan.
"The leaders of this are showing artists who are moving here following their dreams that our state protects what we work so hard for, and I personally want to thank all of our legislators and people who made this bill happen," he said during an event where Gov. Bill Lee signed the bill.
"It’s hard to wrap your head around what is going on with AI, but I know the ELVIS Act will help protect our voices," Bryan added.
The note came just days after Tennessee enacted a new anti-deepfake law.
Mitch Glazier, the chairman of the Recording Industry of America, also supported the new bill.
"This incredible result once again shows that when the music community stands together, there’s nothing we can’t do," he said.
"We applaud Tennessee’s swift and thoughtful bipartisan leadership against unconsented AI deepfakes and voice clones and look forward to additional states and the US Congress moving quickly to protect the unique humanity and individuality of all Americans."
The bill was supported by country artist Luke Bryan and Mitch Glazier, the chairman of the Recording Industry of America.
Deep fakes are a growing problem for figures in the music industry. Unauthorized AI-generated covers are now commonplace on platforms like TikTok and YouTube.
Earlier this year, the White House backed Taylor Swift after AI-generated fake nudes went viral on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter.
"It is alarming," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters after the incident in January.
"While social media companies make their own independent decisions about content management, we believe they have an important role to play in enforcing their own rules to prevent the spread of misinformation and non-consensual intimate imagery of real people."
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