Listen to this articleDear 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated using AI-based technology. Pronunciation errors may occur. We are working with our partners to continually review and improve results. It became one of the most played tracks on Australian radio last month. But now a cover of Madonna’s hit Like a Prayer will be banned from the official charts, thanks to new rules set by the Australian music industry. On Tuesday, the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA), which oversees the country’s official music charts, announced it will now ban tracks that are entirely generated by artificial intelligence. In a statement to CBC News, ARIA spokesperson Andrew Knowles said the association ruled that recordings must be “substantially human-made” to qualify for ARIA listings. However, tracks where “generative AI has produced the creative elements of a track or a primary part of them” will not be eligible. An example of this is a lead vocal or instrument that arose from a cue rather than a person,” Knowles added. “Where a human performance is placed at the center of the recording and AI has also been used in a minor way, the recording remains eligible.” ARIA says it will also have the right to remove recordings that have raised concerns about stream or playlist manipulation, adding that tracks must comply with “applicable laws, including those related to copyright and related rights.” Tracks produced by generative AI will also not be eligible for estimates. “These changes reflect our intention to remain dynamic and promote the human nature of art in what is, to say the least, a rapidly developing space,” ARIA CEO Annabelle Herd said in a statement. WATCH | Josh Fawaz – Like a Prayer (Official Lyric Video): The crackdown comes after Brisbane DJ and producer Josh Fawaz’s version of Like a Prayer, which uses AI-generated vocals and drums, spent 16 weeks on the ARIA Top 20 Australian Singles chart. The controversial single, which peaked at No. 2 on the chart in May and was still in fourth place as of Tuesday, has sparked intense debate and criticism over the use of generative AI. Producer Mitch Thomas was among those who criticized the artist online, calling Fawaz “the biggest problem in music right now” and claiming that Fawaz’s music was “completely AI-generated.” He suggested that Fawaz’s music sounded as if it had been produced using the Suno artificial intelligence platform.WATCH | AI in the music industry | Cost of living: Fawaz snapped back in the comments of Thomas’ video, telling him to “stop being a bit sook” (Australian slang for sulking) and adding that he only uses AI “as a tool, it’s not that deep.” As for when the new rules come into effect, fully AI-generated tracks will be banned and removed from ARIA listings starting next Monday. However, some AI-assisted music will remain eligible, according to a statement issued to the Associated Press. ARIA confirmed to CBC News that Fawaz’s version of Like a Prayer did not meet eligibility requirements “based on information provided by the artist.”
