Why Sheryl Crow is Urging Lawmakers to Regulate AI Use in Music

Published: May 3, 2024

Why Sheryl Crow is Urging Lawmakers to Regulate AI Use in Music

By Movieguide® Contributor

As AI’s power of creation and replication continues to grow, musician Sheryl Crow is urging Congress to regulate the technology’s impact on the industry before it is too late.

“Recently watched a fascinating TED talk with Mustafa Suleyman, the CEO of Microsoft AI. He said ‘the journeys of humanity and technology are now deeply intertwined’ and cautioned that for all the immense, world changing opportunities that AI presents, we need to build safeguard to ensure it is used ethically,” Crow wrote in a guest column for The Hollywood Reporter.

“We should demand this. AI will impact everyone’s lives…” she continued. “I’m hopeful that AI will help us solve many of the world’s problems and ease suffering, but we need ethical boundaries in place to help ensure that. Congress needs to act now, and we need to be diligent.”

“Our brains can’t even imagine what is coming because (AI) is already outthinking what we can imagine,” she said at the Grammys on the Hill event on Tuesday.

Within her own sphere, hundreds of musicians and producers have called for those in the industry to focus on human creativity rather than offloading to AI. Major steps in this direction were made last month when SAG-AFTRA and major music labels came to an agreement concerning the use of AI in music.

Crow and many others, however, want to go a step further and have Congress create hardline regulations against the use of the technology in their medium. While the issue of money is certainly at the forefront of the talks, the larger issue for Crow comes from devaluing music itself.

“What I can say with certainty is that what we all share as humans all over the planet and what connects us is the human experience made up of emotions that nothing programmed can ever experience,” Crow wrote. “And it is what is documented our existence since the beginning of time in our hieroglyphics, and our paintings and our storytelling, and in our songs.”

“As humans, ‘We can create. We can destroy. We can feel pain. We can feel joy. We can plant seeds and watch love grow. We can feel love ‘cause it’s written in the human code,’” she continued, quoting lyrics from a recent song she wrote about this issue.

“I do believe our voices and likenesses need to be protected from bad actors using AI to make monetary gains for themselves… But for me, it is the deception we are giving our approval by not doing something to keep it from happening,” Crow noted, adding, “If you love music, I hope you will stand with the people behind the songs you know and love.”

Congress is currently meeting with representatives from the music industry to discuss how to regulate AI in music in a way that is fair for both musicians and people looking to use the technology to aid them in music creation.

Movieguide® previously reported on the use of AI in music:

A new agreement has been formed between SAG-AFTRA and major recording studios concerning the use of AI in the music industry.

“This agreement ensures that our members are protected,” said Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA national executive director and chief negotiator. “SAG-AFTRA stands firm in the belief that while technology can enhance the creative process, the essence of music must always be rooted in genuine human expression and experience.”

“We look forward to working alongside our industry partners to foster an environment where innovation serves to elevate, not diminish, the unique value of each artist’s contribution to our rich cultural tapestry,” he added.