- Kyle Chua
AI-Generated Stefanie Sun, Faye Wong, JJ Lin Songs Trend Online
Updated: Dec 19, 2023
Songs that use artificial intelligence (AI) tech to clone the voices of popular Asian artists have sent social media abuzz.
According to China Daily, Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun trended on Chinese social media platforms in recent weeks after a series of music videos featuring imitations of her voice were uploaded on Bilibili.com, the Chinese equivalent of YouTube. None of the songs from the videos were sung by Sun herself, and were instead generated by an AI software.
One of the videos – Fa Ru Xue or "Hair Like Snow" – replaces the voice of the original singer, Jay Chou, with an AI imitation of Sun. It has amassed over 1.6 million views since it was posted on 14 April. Some viewers were surprised by how similar the AI imitation sounded to their favorite artist, while others welcome the tech, claiming it provides a new way to enjoy music.
Apart from Sun, the same AI software also managed to clone the voices of pop diva Faye Wong and Singapore's JJ Lin.
The U.S. music world was similarly rattled in mid-April when a song featuring AI-generated voices of The Weeknd and Drake went viral in various social media and music streaming platforms, including YouTube and Spotify. The song, titled "Heart On My Sleeve", was reportedly created by an internet user who leveraged AI software to replicate what has been described as passable imitations of the voices of the two popular artists. It was played about 625,000 times in Spotify before it was taken down.
Such developments have caused the artists themselves and the record labels handling them to be concerned about the infringement of their intellectual properties.
"Those AI-generated songs allegedly infringe upon the copyright of singers, lyricists and composers, even as some AI zealots argue that they play the songs for free just for fun," Liu Bin, a Beijing Zhongwen Law Firm lawyer who specializes in intellectual property cases, told China Daily.
He claims that it'll be difficult for the creators of the songs to argue that they're not doing it for profit if they upload it in big streaming platforms.
Meanwhile, Zhao Zhanling, another Beijing lawyer, explains that using an AI to clone an artist's voice without permission, then uploading it for public consumption can be considered as infringement under Chinese Copyright Law.
"Moreover, if a singer successfully registers a trademark through his or her unique or recognizable voice, the AI-generated songs may even be considered as trademark infringement," Zhao added.
The two lawyers note that music videos featuring AI-generated voices can also infringe on the names, portraits and voice rights of artists. They say the protection of voices is no different from the protection of portraits, so no one should debase or falsify them by any means.
The surging popularity of generative AI tools like ChatGPT, coupled with Chinese tech giants also racing to come out with their own versions of such services, has prompted the Cyberspace Administration of China to solicit public opinions on a draft measure that regulates the emerging tech and promote its healthy development. The internet regulator clarifies that it supports innovation and the use of AI, but wants safeguards in place in case it infringes upon people's images, reputation and privacy, among others.
Singaporean singer Stefanie Sun trended on Chinese social media platforms in recent weeks after a series of music videos featuring AI-generated imitations of her voice were uploaded on Bilibili.com.
One of the music videos has amassed over 1.6 million views since it was posted on 14 April
Apart from Sun, the same AI software also managed to clone the voices of pop diva Faye Wong and Singapore's JJ Lin.
Chinese lawyers note that music videos featuring AI-generated voices can infringe on the names, portraits and voice rights of artists.