Sony Music Group Becomes First Music Company to Join AI Content Coalition ARIAM

Sony Music Group has joined the Alliance for Responsible Innovation in the Arts & Media (ARIAM), becoming the first music company to join the group advocating for the responsible adoption of AI throughout the creative industry.

The group’s members include Condé Nast, Fox Entertainment, Disney, the New York Times, the Financial Times, ITV, Adobe and the BBC, among others. Sony Music chief operating officer Kevin Kelleher said in a statement that the company joined the group to help shape how generative AI “fits into the future of all corners of the creative industries.”

“Only when developed in a responsible and ethical way that puts the value of human artistry at its heart, will AI have the potential to create an environment where innovation, creators, and consumers all thrive,” Kelleher said. “Sony Music Group has an unwavering commitment to protecting music, and we see every day how art inspires, shapes culture and powers this industry and more. We wholeheartedly share ARIAM’s view that a healthy licensing environment, where responsible AI companies proactively partner with rightsholders, is the only foundation for getting this right.”

“We’re very excited to welcome Sony Music Group as the first music company to join ARIAM,” Victoria Furniss, ARIAM‘s founder and executive director, added. “The issues surrounding AI affect all parts of the creative community and music is an integral part of that conversation. Sony Music Group embodies our organization’s principles and brings a valuable perspective to our work as we look for ways to support innovation while protecting creativity, the people behind it and audiences.”

Sony’s music divisions have taken a largely litigation-forward approach to the adoption of AI and music, even as its competitors strike licensing deals with AI music generation companies such as Suno and Udio. Sony Music Entertainment filed its second copyright infringement lawsuit against Suno last week over its new label-backed model, while Sony Music Publishing alleged Anthropic used its song compositions to train its AI models in a lawsuit last month.

Still, Sony Music Group joined labels Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group in a $76 million funding round for the James Cameron-backed company Stability AI last month.