AI Singing Tools Lack Real Legal Safeguards for Artists, Study Finds
A new analysis of ten commercial AI singing voice synthesis platforms reveals they rely almost entirely on self-imposed rules rather than legal protections to govern use of artists' voices. With EU law providing minimal voice protections, researchers warn that current industry terms of service leave vocal artists vulnerable to misuse—a gap that could shape future regulations and business models in generative music.
Originaltitel: Terms of Fairness in Synthetic Singing
<p>The fast proliferation of AI-driven singing voice synthesis (SVS) facilitates wide-scale misappropriation of third-party vocal expressions, while sidelining the interests of practicing vocal artists. Since EU law provides limited protection for the human singing voice, the emerging SVS industry practices and norms are mainly self-regulated through the Terms of Service (ToS). In this study, we survey the ToS of ten commercial SVS services to examine how they respond to the intensifying calls for Responsible AI and articulate their understanding of a fair market. This is the first paper that examines the contractual dispositions of the service providers of generative AI models and their ethical implications in generative music applications for singing. Using the lenses of procedural and substantive fairness, we chart how service providers allocate rights and obligations among the stakeholders and outline the forms of agency the voice artist can be assigned despite the legislative void. Our work contributes to the socio-technical study of fairness in the context of the developing SVS market. It also informs generative AI policies and further advocacy efforts to cultivate responsible innovation and defend the integrity of vocal artists against synthetic exploitations.</p>