Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has announced new legislation aimed at protecting songwriters, performers, and other professionals in the music industry from the potential dangers posed by artificial intelligence (AI). The announcement was made at Nashville's renowned RCA Studio A, a historic recording location for legendary artists such as Dolly Parton, Willie Nelson, and Charley Pride. The event was attended by top music industry leaders, lawmakers, and songwriters, all expressing their concerns about the threats AI poses to the industry.

Governor Lee emphasized that Tennessee would be the first state in the country to introduce legislation safeguarding artists' voices. He hopes that this legislation will serve as a blueprint for other states. Although the bill has not yet been formally introduced in the Tennessee Legislature, and the text of the proposal has not been publicly distributed, Governor Lee aims to ensure that AI tools cannot replicate an artist's voice without their consent.

To accomplish this, Governor Lee referred to the state's most iconic resident, Elvis Presley. Following Presley's death in 1977, a legal battle erupted over the unauthorized use of his name and likeness. Many argued that once a celebrity passed away, their name and image entered the public domain. However, in 1984, the Tennessee Legislature passed the Personal Rights Protection Act, which extended personality rights beyond death and allowed them to be passed down to others. This legislation ensured that the rights of individuals, including their names, photographs, and likenesses, were considered property rights and could be freely assigned and licensed, even after death. The act was crucial in protecting Presley's estate and has since been praised for safeguarding the names, photographs, and likenesses of all public figures in Tennessee.

Currently, only New York and California have similar protections, making it easier to seek damages in court. However, no state has enacted protections against vocal likeness. With AI posing a threat to various industries, artists and creatives are increasingly advocating for stronger protections against AI tools that can produce music, video, imagery, and text without permission. Four-time Grammy-nominated songwriter Jamie Moore emphasized the importance of obtaining permission before using someone's voice or recreating their experiences through AI technology.

The legislation aims to prevent AI tools from scraping an artist's song or voice to generate new content without their consent. Additionally, it seeks to address the issue of fair payment for artists. Bart Herbison, executive director of the Nashville Songwriters Association International, highlighted the rapid advancement of generative AI tools, which went from writing awkward songs to producing moving and emotional pieces within a year. This development has sparked concerns within the industry.

Similar AI legislation is expected to emerge in other states as legislative sessions resume. In California, a proposed measure seeks to establish safety, privacy, and nondiscrimination standards for generative AI tools and services. These standards would eventually be used as qualifications for future state contracts. Another proposal calls for the creation of a state-run research center to further study AI technology. At the federal level, the U.S. Copyright Office is considering copyright reforms in response to generative AI, while a bipartisan group of U.S. senators has introduced the No Artificial Intelligence Fake Replicas and Unauthorized Duplications Act of 2024, aimed at combating harmful AI deepfakes, voice clones, and digital human impersonations.

Overall, the introduction of this legislation in Tennessee marks a significant step in protecting the rights of artists and professionals in the music industry from the potential threats posed by AI technology. It reflects growing concerns within the industry and sets a precedent for other states to follow suit in implementing similar protections.