Grimes on AI-generated vocals of dead musicians: “I feel like someone like Prince would probably be down”

Grimes has again weighed in on the debate surrounding AI-generated vocals, this time focusing on the voices of musicians who have died.

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In a new interview on the UTOPIA Talks podcast, the multi-instrumental experimental artist weighs in on the ethical issue of using AI-generated vocals from dead artists.

“It’s so tricky,” she says. “I would say no. But then I also feel like someone like Prince would probably be kind of down. So, I mean, if I was just making a call, I would say like friends of Prince could do it, you know, like Lizzo could probably do it, but like, I wouldn’t do it.

“I feel like maybe that’s a reasonable way to handle it. That one’s really tricky. I really don’t know. Because, if I was dead before all of this happened, I’d really want people to do it. But I don’t know if everyone else would.”

While issues of consent and other copyright implications come into play, Grimes is certainly expanding the conversation surrounding AI in the music industry.

Last month, she unveiled a highly anticipated AI software allowing users to mimic her voice in songs of their own, which over 15,000 people experimented with in the two days following its release.

In other news, the UK music industry recently unveiled a new plan to help improve information shared about a track’s creation on streaming services.

As established in the UK Industry Agreement on Music Streaming Metadata, the industry set out to improve the information shared on new recordings published to streaming services, to ensure musicians are accurately credited.

Therefore, the agreement is expected to set out a “positive commitment from players across the UK music streaming industry to progressively improve metadata in new recordings, and deliver consistent crediting on streaming services over a two-year period.”