Australia bans AI-generated music from official charts

The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has banned music generated entirely by artificial intelligence from appearing on official music charts. This decision follows the success of an AI-assisted version of Madonna’s ‘Like a Prayer,’ produced by Josh Fawaz, which reached the number two spot on the Australian Top 20.

Under the new rules, songs must meet specific human-centric criteria to be eligible for the charts and ARIA awards. These requirements include human songwriting, human lead vocals, and human-played primary instruments. While AI can be used as a tool in the creative process, it must be used through legal services and cannot be the primary creator of the work.

ARIA Executive Director Annabelle Herd stated that the changes aim to ‘promote the human nature of artistic creativity’ in a rapidly evolving field, noting that allowing unlicensed AI music could damage the industry's foundation.