More than 200 artists backed an open letter from the Artist Rights Alliance (ARA) on April 2, 2024, urging AI developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to stop uses of AI that infringe artists’ rights, undermine human artistry or deny artists fair compensation. Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish and Katy Perry were among the signatories. The letter did not call for a blanket ban on AI: it acknowledged that responsible uses could advance creativity.
What did the musicians ask AI companies to stop?
The letter focused on AI practices that could harm artists and the music ecosystem. The ARA described concerns including musical works used without permission to train AI systems, tools that generate imitations or “copycats,” voice and likeness cloning, and AI-generated sound that could dilute royalty obligations. It framed these issues as threats to artists’ identities, control over their work and livelihoods.
Its appeal was directed to companies and services with a role in developing or deploying music AI—not presented as a legal ruling. The ARA release put the demand sharply: “This assault on human creativity must be stopped.”
Which artists signed the letter?
The ARA said the letter had support from more than 200 artists, a scale also reported by the Associated Press. Nicki Minaj, Billie Eilish and Katy Perry were among the named signatories. Other artists identified in coverage included Stevie Wonder, Miranda Lambert, Peter Frampton, Smokey Robinson, J Balvin, Chappell Roan, Elvis Costello, Imagine Dragons, Jon Bon Jovi, Pearl Jam, Sheryl Crow and Zayn Malik.
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These are examples, not a complete signatory roster. The sources do not establish a definitive final count or provide an accessible, verified list of every name.
Were the musicians calling for a ban on AI music?
No. The ARA’s statement acknowledged that responsibly used AI could advance human creativity and create new experiences for music fans. Its objection was to uses that undermine or replace human artistry, violate artists’ rights or leave creators without fair compensation. That distinction matters: the letter opposed particular practices, not every application of AI in music.
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Who was the appeal aimed at?
The letter called on AI developers, technology companies, platforms and digital music services to avoid developing or deploying music-generation tools that harm artists or deny them fair compensation. ARA executive director Jen Jacobsen told Axios the effort was focused on working with technology and digital partners, rather than pursuing legislation. The letter itself is an advocacy appeal to companies; it does not create a law or establish legal liability.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How does the letter relate to voice-protection laws?
Contemporaneous reporting in April 2024 described Tennessee’s Ensuring Likeness, Voice and Image Security Act (ELVIS Act) as addressing unauthorized replication of an artist’s vocal likeness, while not addressing the use of artists’ works as AI training data. That is historical context from coverage at the time, not a statement of the law’s current status or a guide to legal protections in other jurisdictions. The letter raised both likeness and training-data concerns, which are distinct issues and need not have identical legal treatment.
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