Billie Eilish, Elvis Costello, Jon Bon Jovi, and More Artists Rip Into 'Predatory' and 'Catastrophic' Use of AI in the Music Industry: 'Assault on Human Creativity' The Artist Rights Alliance penned an open letter on Monday.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.

Emma McIntyre/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

Powerful voices are speaking up about the potential danger of advancing AI, and now a prominent group of musicians is joining the chorus in an open letter Monday to call attention to the potential harm the technology can have on the music industry.

In a letter written by the Artist Rights Alliance and posted to Medium on Monday, over 200 musicians and songwriters including Jon Bon Jovi, Darius Rucker, and Elvis Costello called for music platforms and streaming services as well as tech companies to initiate a complete cease of AI to "infringe upon and devalue the human artists."

While the letter admits that AI has the potential to "advance human creativity," it underscores that it only does so when used responsibly, and notes that some platforms and tech developers are using it to "sabotage and undermine artists, songwriters, musicians, and rights holders."

Related: You Can Fear AI and Still Embrace It — Here's Why

Other notable names on the list of signees include Finneas and Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, the estate of Bob Marley, and Pearl Jam.

If left unregulated, the artists said, AI has the potential to "degrade the value" of the work that musicians and songwriters are producing, while simultaneously not properly financially compensating them for it.

"Some of the biggest and most powerful companies are, without permission, using our work to train AI models. These efforts are direly aimed at replacing the work of human artists with massive quantities of AI-created "sounds" and "images" that substantially dilute the royalty pools that are paid out to artists," the letter reads. "For many working musicians, artists, and songwriters who are just trying to make ends meet, this would be catastrophic."

The letter ended with the artists calling the improper use of AI an "assault on human creativity" and the stealing of artists' work as "predatory."

The Artists Rights Alliance's letter comes at a contentious time for AI in the entertainment industry.

On Wednesday, a settlement agreement was reached between the estate of late comedian George Carlin and video company Dudsey, which created an AI-generated one-hour-long comedy special using the comedian's voice and likeness to generate "new" material into an audio-only podcast episode.

"I understand and share the desire for more George Carlin. I, too, want more time with my father," Carlin's daughter, Kelly Carlin, wrote in a statement in January upon the lawsuit filing. "But it is ridiculous to proclaim he has been 'resurrected' with AI."

Related: JPMorgan Says Its AI Cashflow Tool Cut Human Work Almost 90%

Upon this week's settlement, Dudsey has agreed to remove the video of the "podcast" and agreed to never repost it anywhere else again, as well as to never use Carlin's image, voice, or likeness without permission from his estate again.

Carlin died in 2008 of a heart attack.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at BIZ Experiences.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an BIZ Experiences Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for BIZ Experiencess to pursue in 2025.

Science & Technology

OpenAI's Latest Move Is a Game Changer — Here's How Smart Solopreneurs Are Turning It Into Profit

OpenAI's latest AI tool acts like a full-time assistant, helping solopreneurs save time, find leads and grow their business without hiring.

Social Media

How To Start a Youtube Channel: Step-by-Step Guide

YouTube can be a valuable way to grow your audience. If you're ready to create content, read more about starting a business YouTube Channel.

Business Solutions

Boost Team Productivity and Security With Windows 11 Pro, Now $15 for Life

Ideal for BIZ Experiencess and small-business owners who are looking to streamline their PC setup.

Starting a Business

I Built a $20 Million Company by Age 22 While Still in College. Here's How I Did It and What I Learned Along the Way.

Wealth-building in your early twenties isn't about playing it safe; it's about exploiting the one time in life when having nothing to lose gives you everything to gain.

Science & Technology

AI Isn't Plug-and-Play — You Need a Strategy. Here's Your Guide to Building One.

Don't just "add AI" — build a strategy. This guide helps founders avoid common pitfalls and create a step-by-step roadmap to harness real value from AI.