The Grammy Awards have updated their eligibility criteria to address the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in music composition. The new rules state that only works with a “meaningful” human authorship component can be considered for a Grammy nomination. Works that lack human authorship are not eligible in any category.
While AI-assisted composition is not explicitly prohibited, the Grammy authorities emphasize the importance of human contribution. The human authorship component must be significant and relevant to the specific category of the submitted song. For instance, in the category of “songwriting,” the song cannot be entirely generated by AI.
To illustrate the distinction, let’s consider a hypothetical scenario. If an AI-powered tool generates a constantly evolving loop of instruments that you play and layer with drums, recorded instruments, and vocals that you wrote, this would be permissible. In this case, the AI serves as a tool or effect similar to a pedal or filter.
However, if the AI generates lyrics based on a prompt and sings them in the style of David Crosby, with Riffusion providing beats and instrumentation, and unique generated tones inspired by Brian Eno’s Reflection are added, it becomes less clear how to categorize the creative roles involved. While there is undoubtedly human input, the traditional roles of songwriter, vocalist, composer, or instrumentalist are not clearly fulfilled, according to the Grammy’s rules.
This policy strikes a balance between excluding pure AI works and allowing AI to be used as a creative tool. It aims to prevent malicious use of AI-generated content while recognizing the artistic potential of generative music. However, it also raises questions about defining the boundaries of “meaningful” human authorship. As the music industry grapples with the creative possibilities and challenges presented by AI technology, the Grammy Awards will likely refine their criteria to adapt to evolving artistic practices.
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