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The floor in front of the stage at Robert’s Western World, a beloved Broadway honky-tonk in Nashville, was packed Thursday afternoon.
But even with country music superstar Luke Bryan and many other musicians present, the center of attention was Governor Bill Lee and his Elvis Law.
And Lee did not disappoint by signing into law the Act to Ensure the Safety of Image, Voice and Image, a pioneering bill in the country that aims to protect musicians from artificial intelligence by adding penalties for copying the “voice.” of an interpreter without permission. .
“There are certainly a lot of positive things about what AI does,” Lee told the crowd. But, he added, “when it falls into the hands of bad actors, it can destroy this industry.”
The use of artificial intelligence technology (and its rapid improvement in imitating public figures) has led several legislatures to take steps to tighten regulations on artificial intelligence, particularly when it comes to election ads. Late last year, the White House imposed a sweeping executive order to push for more safety barriers while Congress wrestles with federal regulations.
But since this is Tennessee, attention predictably turned to the toll it could take on musicians in Nashville, Memphis and beyond. Mr. Lee’s office said the music industry generates billions of dollars for the state and supports more than 61,000 jobs and more than 4,500 venues.
Several prominent musicians, recording industry groups and artist alliances spoke out around the bill this year, warning of the dire consequences of AI.
“I’ve just gotten to the point where things are coming into my voice, into my phone, and I can’t say it’s not me,” Bryan said Thursday, adding, “I hope this slows it down, slows it down.” “
Chris Janson, a country singer and songwriter who recounted his time working gigs in Lower Broadway, the downtown area where many of the city’s honky-tonks are concentrated, told lawmakers and supporters that “we’re grateful for their protection, and ladies protecting our community, our community of artists.”
Tennessee intervened for the first time to protect the name, image and likeness of an artist with a law of 1984that emerged as the presley estate was fighting in court to control how the music legend’s name and likeness could be used commercially after his death. The version enacted on Thursday adds to that measure and will go into effect on July 1.
The new law passed unanimously in the legislature, a remarkable feat for a spiteful body that has spent weeks fighting (at one point, almost literally – above the slightest slight and policy change.
The decision to celebrate a bill signing in a honky-tonk was a first for many there, and it was an unusual scene for Lee, a more reserved public figure whose brought security detail visibly surprised a couple of tourists outside the place.
Inside, fried bologna sandwiches (the cornerstone of Robert’s $6 recession special) sizzled on the stove as Lee spoke. Both Republicans and Democrats wore “ELVIS Act” badges and applauded as Mr. Lee and top Republicans received framed platinum records recognizing the signing of the law.
State Senator Jack Johnson, the majority leader, recalled celebrating his bachelor party at Robert’s, while Mr. Lee described his fondness for incognito date nights with his wife to listen to music. And state Rep. Justin Jones, a top Democratic foe of the Republican supermajority, later posted photos of the event. On Instagram with the note that it feels good to have a bill “that’s not complete garbage.”
However, the legislation’s broad definitions have given some lawyers pause about whether it could inadvertently limit certain performances, even when an actor plays a well-known entertainer. The law also holds a person liable for civil action if an audio recording or reproduction of a person’s image was knowingly published without authorization.
Voice, under the law, is defined as a sound in a recording or other medium that is “readily identifiable and attributable to a particular individual,” whether the recording contains a person’s voice or a simulation.
Those concerns led to some changes in the bill to create an exemption for such audiovisual performances unless they give “the false impression that the work is an authentic recording.”
And given the broad definition of voice, one legal expert wondered: What would this mean for tribute bands or for men who have perfected an Elvis impersonation?
“It’s not what the bill intends, but when a law is written in a way that allows people to get into mischief with it, mischief tends to follow,” said Joseph Fishman, a law professor at Vanderbilt University.
But Fishman emphasized that even if the measure requires further adaptation in the coming years, it is still “a well-intentioned bill that does a lot of good.”
Ben Sisario contributed reports.