Last month, it emerged as one of the most frequently played songs on Australian radio.
However, a rendition of Madonna’s classic Like a Prayer is now facing a potential ban from official music charts due to new regulations introduced by the Australian music sector.
On Tuesday, the Australian Record Industry Association (ARIA), responsible for the nation’s official music rankings, declared that it will prohibit tracks that are entirely created by artificial intelligence.
In a statement to CBC News, ARIA representative Andrew Knowles noted that for a recording to be eligible for the ARIA charts, it must be “substantially human-made.”
Tracks where “generative AI has created the main creative elements or a significant portion” will be ineligible.
“A prime example would be a lead vocal or instrument generated from a prompt instead of a human,” Knowles elaborated. “If a human performance is central to the recording with AI used minimally, then it remains eligible.”
ARIA also reserves the right to eliminate recordings that raise concerns regarding streaming or chart manipulation, emphasizing that tracks must adhere to “relevant laws, including those concerning copyright and related rights.” Furthermore, tracks produced entirely by generative AI will not qualify for the prestigious ARIA Awards.
“These modifications signify our commitment to being adaptive and to support the human essence of artistry in what is — to put it mildly — a swiftly evolving landscape,” stated ARIA’s CEO Annabelle Herd.
“The ARIA charts will consistently reflect a transparent assessment of the music consumed in Australia, but a chart that rewards unlicensed AI output would undermine the foundation of the recorded music we aim to represent,” she continued.
This crackdown follows the success of Brisbane DJ and producer Josh Fawaz’s version of Like a Prayer, which features AI-generated vocals and percussion, having spent 16 weeks on ARIA’s Top 20 Australian Singles chart.
The contentious single, which reached No. 2 in May and maintained fourth place as of Tuesday, has ignited significant debate and backlash regarding the use of generative AI.
Music producer Mitch Thomas was among those criticizing the artist online, labeling Fawaz “the biggest problem in music currently” and claiming that Fawaz’s music was “entirely produced with AI.” He suggested that Fawaz’s music resembled compositions generated using the AI platform Suno.
Fawaz responded in the comments on Thomas’s video, advising him to “stop sulking” — an Australian expression for complaining — and stated that he employs AI “as a tool, it’s not that serious.”
Regarding the implementation of the new regulations, tracks fully generated by AI will be prohibited and removed from the ARIA charts starting next Monday. However, some AI-assisted music will still be eligible, according to a press release to the Associated Press.
ARIA confirmed to CBC News that Fawaz’s cover of Like a Prayer did not meet the eligibility standards “based on information provided by the artist.”