In the end, the lawsuits, IMO, have nothing to do with protecting artists..it’s going to be about how RIAA can use AI to create new music without having to pay artists any money. Present copyright laws may not cover what Udio etal are doing... because RIAA is going to be diving into the AI pool...they already have their toes in the water and they want clarity. I would think their main focus will be to get Udio to reveal how they train AI and what, in fact, is a dataset.
I would suggest the people who have created the UDIO music are extremely knowledgeable in music because, what they are creating, IMO, is highly sophisticated. Those downloading that music (the consumer) don’t need to know much about music and that will probably be reflected in their final product. Those who have a good understanding of music and song creation will, as is always the case, rise to the top.
The money being invested in AI, today, is huge...and as a former investment banker, that tells me AI is here to stay, it’s going to be massive and the only question is who will own AI.


Here is a video by The Knickerbockers from 1965...I heard it the day it came out in 1965 and immediately thought..it’s the Beatles new hit song...wrong...in fact their manager, wanting to take advantage of the British invasion, thought they should sound like the Beatles...they probably learned a number of the Beatles’ songs to get a feel for the sound and then did their own song without copying any Beatles song per se...did the violate copyright law by using Beatles songs to create their own Beatles sounding song? That’s is what UDIO is doing today (it is the band members learning all the parts to create NEW MUSIC) and that’s what the courts will decide. I’m not sure UDIO has done anything legally wrong.. Morally...probably they’re scum but in the end, the consumer on the street will decide as they have done forever...they don’t care how the song got to their phone/computer/radio...how does it sound is their only concern. Do you think anybody cares that robots made their cars...but they’re OK with the price tag which would be thousands more if made by humans....other than the workers in the auto industry, did anybody care? I kinda think the public doesn’t care one bit about AI in the music industry either...it’s called “mass indifference”


Creators of music have a responsibility to their craft. When they have finished using all the notes and words, they must pass them down to the next generation with a simple request. “Use these to create new music.”...Steven McDonald