London-based AI startup Stability has announced it will be working with Universal Music Group to develop automated music generation tools powered by “responsibly trained AI”.
The strategic alliance will see Stability – which has developed a number of image, video and music generation AI tools – work with the music giant and its artists to create technology that it claims will work in the favour of creatives, rather than replace them.
Universal is among the largest organisations in music, with signed artists including Taylor Swift, Billie Eilish and Drake.
Stability AI was an early UK-based beneficiary of the era of generative AI interest brought on by OpenAI’s ChatGPT, with several products released to compete with the Californian giant.
Stability has faced criticism over its approach to using copyrighted source material for its generations, including from some of its former employees.
Through its new partnership, however, the company claims to be stressing the importance of the needs of artists, hoping to create tools that support their work without putting it at risk.
“This agreement is an extension of our fundamental orientation that our artists and songwriters are the cornerstone of our business,” said Michael Nash, chief digital officer at Universal Music Group.
“With AI, as with everything else we do, we start with what best supports our work to help them achieve creative and commercial success and build from that foundation to forge new and better commercial and creative opportunities and as we’ve made abundantly clear, we will only consider advancing AI tools and products based on models that are trained responsibly.
“We’re looking forward to working with Stability AI to deeply integrate AI tools development with the vision and creative ambitions of our artists and to the results and rewards this initiative offers to all.”
Stability has been keen to work closely with figures in traditional entertainment in the hopes of presenting itself as a group that can work with creatives instead of trying to replace them.
Last year, the company appointed Terminator and Avatar director James Cameron to its board of directors.
“UMG has long been a leader in technological innovation in music. This partnership marks the next chapter of music creation,” said Stability AI chief executive Prem Akkaraju.
“At Stability AI, we put the artist at the centre and build AI around their unique needs because real transformation has always come from a combination of art and science.”
