The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has decided to ban songs entirely generated by AI from entering the official charts, with the new rule taking effect next Monday. The trigger was a song that used AI-generated vocals and drum beats to replicate Madonna's classic "Like a Prayer," which remained in the top 20 of Australia for 16 consecutive weeks and once reached number 2 on the single chart, bringing the role of generative AI in the music industry into the spotlight.

Human leadership becomes a hard requirement for chart inclusion

According to the new rules, songs must be created, sung, and played mainly by humans to qualify for the charts. Purely AI-generated works are also not eligible for ARIA Music Awards; however, works that use AI assistance for production can still be considered, provided they use legitimate AI services. This aligns with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry's principle of "primarily created by humans" in July and addresses controversies arising from tools trained on unauthorized works on streaming platforms.

Dr. Weaver, a lecturer at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, praised this as "a very good step," stating that in an environment where it is difficult to completely avoid AI, the key is for humans to maintain control and make the most important creative decisions. The boundary set by ARIA essentially creates a protected access line for human creativity amidst the AI tide.