A BLOG OF SORTS FROM CHRIS COOKE
AI + the creative industries
INTRODUCTION
In recent years I have written extensively about the impact of generative AI on the music industry and wider creative industries, and in particular the debates around the copyright obligations of AI companies, and also how creators and performers can protect their voice and likeness in the context of AI.
This TW Explainer from 2024 provides a top level overview of those debates, and the key legal, commercial and moral questions that continue to be posed.
This TW News Briefing, also from 2024, puts the spotlight in particular on voice and likeness, and the debate around so called personality rights.
In 2023, when the music industry first started to really consider and debate the threats and opportunities posed by AI, CMU produced two reports summarising the issues. Although there has been lots of debate and plenty of AI deals since then, most of the issues outlined in these reports continue to be debated and discussed.
The Music Manager’s Interim Guide To AI was produced with the UK’s Music Managers Forum to help managers navigate and understand the opportunities and challenges posed by AI, and offer guidance on how they might advise their clients.
Artificial Intelligence And The Music Industry was published as part of the IMPALA One Step Ahead programme and considers how generative AI technologies might evolve, as well as outlining the key legal questions that have been raised.
We have also published year-end summaries of key developments in AI.
This CMU report ‘AI And The Music Industry In 2023’ provides an extensive summary of the debates and developments around music and AI up to that point.
At the end of 2025, we published year-end AI reviews through both CMU and ThisWeek Culture, covering developments from a music industry perspective, and in terms of the impact of AI on the wider creative industries.
Below are all the articles I have written for CMU and ThisWeek Culture on AI, grouped by theme. We continue to publish articles on these topics every week.
I also regularly deliver training sessions and speed briefings on the impact of AI on the music and wider creative industries, covering all the debates, disputes and legal reforms around copyright, creator rights and personality rights, and exploring both the challenges and the opportunities posed by AI.
I also support the Council Of Music Makers with its work around AI, copyright and creator rights, including its submissions to UK government reviews.
CAMPAIGNS + REPORTS
Key campaigns, statements and reports on the impact of generative AI on creators and the creative industries, and on copyright law and creator rights.
AI campaigning by creators and the creative industries | back to contents
Interesting reports on AI and the creative industries | back to contents
Industry initiatives | back to contents
| 18 Jan 2024: Former Stability exec Ed Newton Rex launches Fairly Trained AI certification 27 Jun 2024: What is OK in the world of music AI? New organisation to develop industry standards |
LOBBYING + LEGISLATION IN THE UK
There has been lots of political debate around the copyright obligations of AI companies in the UK, with various government proposals and reviews.
Copyright exception for AI proposed | back to contents
Government review | back to contents
Copyright exception for AI proposed (again) | back to contents
2025 Data Bill | back to contents
Government review (again) | back to contents
LOBBYING + LEGISLATION ELSEWHERE
There has been lots of political debate around the copyright obligations of AI companies across the world, as well as proposed legislative reforms.
Copyright and AI in the USA | back to contents
Copyright and AI in the EU | back to contents
Copyright and AI in Australia | back to contents
Copyright and AI elsewhere in the world | back to contents
MUSIC INDUSTRY WARNING SHOTS
As the debate around copyright and AI started to hot up, the music industry issued some warnings to AI companies while also opting out of the EU copyright exception.
Music industry v Discord’s AI hub | back to contents
| 23 Jun 2023: RIAA targets AI Hub on Discord 6 Oct 2023: AI Hub on Discord goes offline, probably due to music industry copyright complaints |
Music industry v Voicify | back to contents
| 1 Feb 2024: RIAA welcomes US government’s latest piracy reports, but urges a “close look” at voice cloning sites 18 Mar 2024: BPI threatens to sue voice cloning site Voicify |
Music industry’s AI warnings and opt-outs | back to contents
LITIGATION AROUND THE WORLD
The copyright obligations of AI companies are at the centre of numerous lawsuits across the world, especially in the US, but also elswhere.
Thomson Reuters v Ross Intelligence in the US courts | back to contents
| 12 Feb 2025: US judge demolishes fair use defence in what could be landmark AI lawsuit 1 Oct 2026: US appeals court says AI training is not fair use |
Open AI cases in the US and Indian courts | back to contents
Stability AI cases in US and UK courts | back to contents
Authors v Anthropic and Meta in the US courts | back to contents
Music publishers v Anthropic in the US courts | back to contents
The music industry v Suno and Udio in the US courts | back to contents
Musicians v Google in the US courts | back to contents
Hollywood v Midjourney in the US courts | back to contents
Collecting societies v AI companies in European courts | back to contents
INDUSTRY DEALS, DEBATES + DISPUTES
The music and wider creative industries are utilising AI and entering into deals with AI companies – which poses additional debates within the creative community.
Music industry’s AI partnerships and licensing deals | back to contents
Union negotiations over AI | back to contents
Creator consent and compensation in AI deals | back to contents
The recordings v songs split in AI deals | back to contents
OTHER ISSUES
Beyond the copyright obligations of AI companies, there are a number of other AI related debates in the creative industries that are just as important.
Digital replicas and personality rights | back to contents
Copyright status of AI generated works | back to contents
Labelling AI works | back to contents
AI policies of streaming services, charts and media | back to contents
Last updated: September 2026