The future of tech is dark, as AI continues to shake up the landscape. Many artists have voiced their disdain for artificial intelligence, including Drake and Tyler The Creator. However, one Canadian artist seems to approve of the technology and is even encouraging fans to replicate her sound.
This past weekend, during the International Music Summit in Ibiza, Grimes launched Elf.Tech: GrimesAI-1 Voiceprint, which allows fans to upload acapella vocals, and recreate them in her voice using AI technology.
HOW TO MAKE MUSIC FEAT GrimesAI
– we can distribute it for you and you can earn royalties from your work: https://t.co/p598CXaXnD— 𝔊𝔯𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 (@Grimezsz) April 30, 2023
“I feel strongly that there’s way too much gatekeeping in music,” said Grimes at the keynote (per Mixmag). “Copyright sucks. Art is a conversation with everyone that’s come before us. Intertwining it with the ego is a modern concept. The music industry has been defined by lawyers, and that strangles creativity.
Fans who upload recordings will be able to split the royalties with Grimes 50/50, provided that the recordings prove successful. GrimesAI-1 will also not claim ownership of the recordings unless the vocalist records a cover of a song originally performed by Grimes.
Also during her keynote speech, she also revealed that she wouldn’t mind if people continued to replicate her vocal stylings after she died, and put the recordings out as posthumous releases.
“If I was dead I’d really like people to do it,” she said. “But I’m not sure everyone would agree. I feel like maybe Prince would’ve been up for it. If it was one of his friends doing it maybe. It’s a tricky one.”