NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Tennessee is paving the way as the first state in the country to sign legislation protecting artists’ voices from the misuse of artificial intelligence.
Gov. Bill Lee made history by signing the “ELVIS Act” at a bar on Lower Broadway on Thursday.
“From Beale Street to Broadway, to Bristol and beyond, Tennessee is known for our rich artistic heritage that tells the story of our great state,” Lee said. “As the technology landscape evolves with artificial intelligence, I thank the General Assembly for its partnership in creating legal protection for our best-in-class artists and songwriters.”
While Robert’s Western World seems like an unusual spot to sign legislation, the pictures on the walls serve as a testament to Music City’s history and a glimpse at some of the many voices the new law aims to protect from AI.
“This is a serious thing,” country artist Chris Janson stated on the honky-tonk’s stage.
Janson and Luke Bryan showed their support for the move while sharing stories of just how concerning AI is when it comes to their creative property.
“I’ve just gotten to where stuff comes in of my voice on my phone and I can’t tell it’s not me,” Bryan explained.
“I heard a demo a while back. I said, ‘I don’t even remember writing that song.’ They went, ‘Uh huh, you didn’t.’ I said, ‘Okay, we got to put a stop to this right now,'” Janson recalled.
The ELVIS Act adds voices to Tennessee’s list of protected personal rights, with the acronym standing for “Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security.”
“Hopefully this will curb it, slow it down,” Bryan said.
“People can’t come to shows and hear live music if we don’t put a stop to the fakeness. We came to a real city to make real music for real people. That’s what country music is. Country music is real people,” Janson added.
Some have argued the language in the legislation is too broad and could have unintended consequences when it comes to the motion picture industry.
“We’ll continue to look at changes, but this was the right thing to do. This is the first of these such bills in America,” the governor told NewsNation affiliate WKRN. “Obviously, it’s broadly been well-received by the entire industry, so we hope its a blueprint. We hope the country moves this direction, and I’m sure there’ll be strengthening to it in the day, in the years ahead.”
Tennessee legislators and artists were in attendance at Thursday’s event, hoping the ELVIS Act sets the tone for the rest of the country.
“Once again, Tennessee is leading the nation. Today, the ELVIS Act becomes the first-of-its-kind law to protect musicians from AI-generated synthetic media,” Tennessee Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, stated. “The rapid advancement of AI is exciting in many ways, but it also presents new challenges – especially for singers, songwriters, and other music professionals. I was proud to work with Gov. Lee and my colleagues in the General Assembly to modernize our laws to ensure AI does not threaten the unique voices and creative content of Tennessee musicians.”
“The ELVIS Act puts in critical safeguards to protect the humanity and artistic expression of Tennessee innovators and creators. While we support the responsible advancement of this technology, we must ensure we do not threaten the future livelihood of an entire industry,” Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, said. “This legislation is an important step in maintaining public trust and advancing ongoing efforts to protect and inform Tennessee consumers.”
“We’re going to put a flag in the ground because when you do it in Nashville, trust me, amen, everybody in the big cities go, ‘I guess we should do it too.’ And that’s what they’re going to do, you just watch, because man, real always wins. Fake badness always comes to light,” Janson explained.
Officials said numerous industry groups supported Lee’s AI legislation, including the Academy of Country Music; the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM); the Americana Music Association; the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP); Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI); the Church Music Publishers Association (CMPA); the Christian Music Trade Association; Folk Alliance International; Global Music Rights; the Gospel Music Association; the Living Legends Foundation; the Music Artists Coalition; the Nashville Musicians Association; the National Music Publishers’ Association; the Rhythm & Blues Foundation; the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA); the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers (SESAC); Songwriters of North America (SONA); the Recording Academy; the Recording Industry of America (RIAA); and the Tennessee Entertainment Commission.