The Juno Awards organization says a “hyper-rigged” song, such as one that features voices similar to Drake and The Weeknd performing a duet, will not be eligible for next year’s Canadian music gala.
The organization’s president, Allan Reid, said the new “AI eligibility” rules lay the groundwork for how artificial intelligence (AI) can be used in song creation — and the fake duo of Canadian singers would not qualify.
“It’s ‘Drake and The Weeknd,’ but it’s not them,” he told The Canadian Press. These are not their voices, these are AI-generated voices. »
Before nominations for the 2024 Junos opened on Monday, executives clarified that eligible recordings could use AI, but that it could not be the “sole or central component” of the project.
Exactly what that means remains open to interpretation, Mr. Reid conceded. He explained that this is “a learning year” for the organization, with the rules established as “a baseline” to work from.
“We want to make sure that humans are recognized,” he said.
“We can’t award a Juno to an AI project. »
The new criteria comes as the music industry faces rapidly evolving technology that floods the Internet with “hyper-rigged” songs that use computer-generated vocals imitating real artists.
Heart on My Sleevea song created by an American producer who calls himself Ghostwriter, shook the music industry earlier this year with fake performances by Drake and The Weeknd.
Its release led the recording industry giant Universal Music Group, distributor of the two Canadian artists, to issue takedown notices to music broadcasters. They released a statement calling the unauthorized songs created by the AI a “violation of our agreements and copyright law.”
The Grammys recently clarified that the song would not be eligible for its awards show.
However, some songs might be allowed.
More recently, Vancouver-born musician Grimes released voice modeling software that allows her fans to add her to their music, provided they share royalties with her.
Mr. Reid says the two examples could lead to different results at the Junos.
Heart on My Sleeve would never have been eligible for the awards, he said, since its creator is not Canadian and neither singer was involved. The song was also not released commercially, as it was unauthorized.
Grimes is a somewhat different case, he added. Her voice is created by AI and therefore isn’t technically real, meaning it doesn’t qualify. However, if the human producer who used their voice software is Canadian, the Junos would look into the matter further.
Application forms do not directly ask whether AI technology was used in the creation, said Liz Morgante, the academy’s senior director of operations. However, any projects that raise questions will be reviewed by the Junos Music Advisory Committees.
“There is no doubt that AI will revolutionize the way music is created,” noted Mr. Reid.
“And with the speed at which things are changing […] It’s hard for us to predict where things will go in the future, so we need to take the first steps and learn as things evolve. »
The Juno Awards will take place on March 24, 2024 in Halifax.