Protect artists' voices and likenesses through groundbreaking NO FAKES Act
It's Time for the Groundbreaking NO FAKES Act
Curiosity is at the heart of creativity. Artists are always searching for what's next. They're pioneers by nature, staying one step ahead.
Tech entrepreneurs are doing something similar. They experiment, test the boundaries, and build the future as they go.
On their own, music and technology have both proven over and over that they have the power to create change. But when these two forces come together, they often do more than that. They signal the future. And not just for artists, but for all of us.
That's why I'm happy to see members of the creative community and tech industry coming together with lawmakers for groundbreaking artificial intelligence (AI) legislation.
On April 9, I stood on the steps of the Capitol in Washington, alongside other advocates of the NO FAKES Act, one year since I'd testified in support of the original bill.
Sens. Marsha Blackburn and Chris Coons, and Reps. Maria Salazar and Madeleine Dean, along with several cosponsors, reintroduced an updated and strengthened version.
It provides crucial protections for your voice and likeness, against unauthorized, AI-generated deepfakes. It also sets up a reliable licensing framework, bringing more trustworthy products to market. It makes the rules of the game clear, similar to how things are already working with intellectual property.
This carefully crafted, bipartisan bill will produce balanced, common sense legislation, and as a result has attracted critical additional support – including backing from Google, and the Motion Picture Association, among others. America is one of the leading drivers of global innovation, and for that to continue this kind of collaboration is key.
Opinion: Taiwan shows how Tennessee with TVA support will be at forefront of innovation.
The bill even sets an example for other countries to follow.
Every day at Warner Music Group, we witness the human inspiration that is the livelihood and lifeblood of musicians and songwriters.
We also see how they are frequent targets of invasive deepfake attacks and rip-off recordings that use their voices and likenesses without consent.
In 2024, WMG artist FKA twigs, who joined me at the U.S. Senate hearings, testified: 'My art is the canvas on which I paint my identity … it is the essence of my being. Yet this is under threat. This prospect threatens to rewrite and unravel the fabric of my very existence.'
At the same time, in the right hands and with the right controls, AI has tremendous potential as a creative tool. Country superstar Randy Travis, who joined me earlier April 9 in Washington, offers a prime example. AI enabled him to release new music in his own voice a decade after experiencing stroke-induced aphasia.
WMG is open for business, working to establish new partnerships and champion pro-artist free-market applications of these AI technologies. At the same time, the need for legislation that addresses both the promise and peril of AI is more urgent than ever.
This updated NO FAKES Act provides an elegant solution, a well-packaged bill, that's supported by cross-party policymakers, the creative industries, tech platforms, and more. Passing it will push the boundaries of innovation, while protecting identity and originality.
Robert Kyncl is CEO of Warner Music Group.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: NO FAKES Act will protect artists' voices and likenesses | Opinion
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