American singer Billie Eilish and British pop star Engelbert Humperdinck have voiced their opposition to the “exploitative utilization of AI to appropriate professional artists’ voices and appearances”.

They are part of over 200 artists who have endorsed an open letter cautioning AI developers, tech companies, platforms, and digital music services against unaᴜthorized utilization of songs and other creative works.

Organized by the Artist Rights Alliance (ARA), the campaign’s released letter emphasizes, “While we recognize AI’s potential to enhance human creativity, some platforms and developers are employing it to stifle creativity, infringe upon artists’ rights, and disrupt the music industry.”

“We urge digital music platforms and services to pledge not to develop or deploy AI technology that undermines or replaces human artistic expression or compromises fair compensation for our work.”

The letter also highlights concerns about AI developers using musical works to train and produce unaᴜthorized replicas and the potential dilution of royalty obligations from improperly used AI-generated “sound.”

Notable signatories to the letter include Eilish’s songwriting partner and brother Finneas O’Connell, US musician Katy Perry, former One Direction member Zayn Malik, British folk rock band Mumford & Sons, and American singers Jon Bon Jovi and Norah Jones.

Jen Jacobsen, executive director of the ARA, expressed, “AI-generated content threatens to devalue the entire music ecosystem for artists and fans alike, exacerbating the challenges already faced by working musicians in the streaming era.”

Other prominent signatories include US rock band Imagine Dragons, Cuban-born singer Camila Cabello, American singers Jon Batiste and Sheryl Crow, and British singers Calum Scott, Elvis Costello, Jess Glynne, Jamie Cullum, and Brits Rising Star winners The Last Dinner Party, along with the estate of actor and musician Frank Sinatra.

While AI’s role in music has grown, it has sparked mixed reactions. Warner Music Central Europe offered its first record deal to a digital character, Noonoouri, in September 2023, with artists receiving royalties akin to traditional songs. Additionally, technology has been used to resurrect deceased artists such as DJ Tommy Vance and Elvis Presley for promotional and concert purposes, respectively.

However, some artists, including Irish singer Hozier and country singer Dolly Parton, have expressed reservations about AI’s ability to authentically replicate human experiences and artistic expression.