Google And Universal Music Group Negotiating Deal To License Artists’ Melodies And Voices For AI Deepfakes

The phenomenon of artificial intelligence within pop music appears to be at a strange tipping point, as it’s easier and easier for fans to use technology to imitate famous artists’ voices, delivery styles, and even lyrics. Right now, there’s a whole cottage YouTube industry of AI cover versions — deepfake approximations of stars, often dead ones, singing songs that may not have come out when those stars were alive. It’s an open question whether that’s a fun diversion or a sign of the apocalypse, but it seems like something that the world can’t stop. Instead, the record labels and tech platforms would like to figure out how to make money from it.