The power of AI just got stronger after the CEO of The Recording Academy passed a new rule that makes elements of the new tech development eligible for awards.
Recording Academy CEO and President Harvey Mason Jr. recently announced a series of changes to the Grammy Awards that reflect the evolution of the music industry, AP News reports. Among the new guidelines includes a protocol allowing the use of artificial intelligence in music.
While “Only human creators” can win the awards, the new rule highlights how the music industry is coming to terms with the latest technological advancement.
“A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any category,” the rule reads in part.
Mason elaborated and explained how the new rule works. An AI or voice modeling program that performs the lead vocal on a song can be eligible in a songwriting category, but not a performance category since “what is performing is not human creation,” he explained.
“Conversely, if a song was sung by an actual human in the studio, and they did all the performing, but AI wrote the lyric or the track, the song would not be eligible in a composition or a songwriting category.”
Mason continued.
“Here’s the super easy, headline statement: AI, or music that contains AI-created elements is absolutely eligible for entry and for consideration for Grammy nomination. Period,” Mason explained.
“What’s not going to happen is we are not going to give a Grammy or Grammy nomination to the AI portion.”
New rules also require music creators to contribute to at least 20% of an album to earn a nomination, according to Sky Notes. Prior to the new protocol, any producer, songwriter, engineer, or featured artist on an album could earn a nomination for album of the year, even if the person had little to no input.