Tennessee makes AI an outlaw to protect its country music and more
The floor in front of the stage at Robert’s Western World, a beloved honky-tonk on Broadway in Nashville, was packed Thursday afternoon.
But even with country superstar Luke Bryan and several other musicians on hand, the center of attention was Governor Bill Lee and his Elvis Act.
And Mr. Lee did not disappoint, signing the Ensuring Likeness, Voice and Image Security Act, a bill that aims to protect musicians from artificial intelligence by imposing penalties for copying an artist’s “voice” without permission . .
“There are certainly a lot of things that are positive about what AI is doing,” Mr Lee told the crowd. But, he added, “if it falls into the hands of bad actors, it could destroy this industry.”
The use of AI technology – and its rapid improvement in impersonating public figures – has led several lawmakers to move to tighten regulations on AI, especially when it comes to election advertising. The White House imposed a sweeping executive order late last year to push for more guardrails as Congress grapples with federal regulations.
But this being Tennessee, the focus has unsurprisingly been on the toll it could take on musicians in Nashville, Memphis and beyond. Mr Lee’s office said the music industry generates billions of dollars for the state and supports more than 61,000 jobs and more than 4,500 venues.
Several leading musicians, record industry groups and artist alliances rallied around the bill this year, warning of the dire consequences of AI
“I’ve just gotten to the point where things are coming into my voice, on my phone, and I can’t say it’s not me,” Mr. Bryan said Thursday, adding that “hopefully this will curb it and slow it down. ”
Chris Janson, a country singer and songwriter who talked about time spent performing on Lower Broadway, the downtown area where many of the city’s honky-tonks are concentrated, told lawmakers and supporters that “we’re grateful that you protect us, and you ladies protect our community, our artist community.”
Tennessee intervened for the first time to protect an artist’s name, image and likeness with a 1984 lawwhich came as the Presley Estate fought in court to determine how the musical legend’s name and likeness could be used commercially after his death. The version signed into law on Thursday adds to that measure and will come into effect on July 1.
The new law passed the legislature unanimously, a remarkable achievement for a vindictive body that spent weeks fighting — at one point almost literally – over the smallest slights and policy changes.
The decision to have a bill signed at a honky-tonk was a first for many there, and it was an unusual scene for Mr. Lee, a more reserved public figure whose appropriate security details visibly startled a few tourists outside the venue.
Inside, the fried bologna rolls — the cornerstone of the $6 Robert’s recession special — sizzled on the stove as Mr. Lee spoke. Both Republicans and Democrats wore “ELVIS Act” pins and applauded as Mr. Lee and top Republicans received framed platinum plaques recognizing the bill’s signing.
State Senator Jack Johnson, the majority leader, reminisced about celebrating his bachelor party at Robert’s, while Mr. Lee described a penchant for incognito date nights with his wife to listen to some music. And state Rep. Justin Jones, a top Democratic foe of the Republican supermajority, later posted photos of the event on Instagram commenting that it feels good to have a bill “that’s not complete nonsense.”
However, the legislation’s broad definitions have led some advocates to question whether it could inadvertently restrict certain performances, including when an actor plays a well-known performer. The law also makes a person liable for civil action if an audio recording or reproduction of a person’s likeness is knowingly published without permission.
Voice is defined by law as a sound in a recording or other medium that is “readily identifiable and attributable to a particular individual,” regardless of whether the record contains the voice of a person or a simulation.
These concerns led to some changes in the bill to create an exception for such audiovisual representations unless they “give the false impression that the work is an authentic recording.”
And given the broad definition of voice, one legal expert wondered: What would this mean for tribute bands, or for the men who perfected an Elvis impersonation?
“It’s not the intent of the bill, but if a law is written in a way that allows people to cause mischief, mischief will often result,” said Joseph Fishman, a law professor at Vanderbilt University.
But Mr. Fishman emphasized that even if the measure requires some more tailoring in the coming years, it “remains a well-intentioned bill that does a lot of good.”
Ben Sisario reporting contributed.