Grammys announces 'big AI ban' that may be sweet music for many

Grammys has announced a 'big AI ban'. The message from the Recording Academy is loud and clear: "Only human creators are eligible" for the Grammy Awards. The announcement from the body that grants the world's most recognized music awards seeks to curb the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the industry. The use of AI has quickly spread since December when OpenAI launched ChatGPT, a free chatbot backed by Microsoft Corp that can generate human-like dialogue based on simple inputs. Since then, several AI apps have mushroomed, allowing users to create/animate still photos, create avatars in films, write songs, essays and articles -- threatening to displace humans in many jobs.

What the new rulebook says

The academy's updated rulebook reads: "A work that contains no human authorship is not eligible in any categories." While Grammys has prohibited AI-only work, some music created with AI help may qualify in certain categories.

Music creators must now contribute to at least 20% of an album to earn a nomination. In the past, any producer, songwriter, engineer or featured artist on an album could earn a nomination for album of the year, even if the person had a small input.

Writers Guild of America up in arms

The Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) are also struggling with the use of AI in the creative fields of screenwriting and acting. The WGA wants to curb the use of AI in screenwriting while SAG actors want to ensure its members can control use of their digital personas and receive proper compensation.

WGA writers went on strike in early May and have yet to agree with studios on the use of AI, among other issues.