OpenAI is making a move that, on paper, seems obvious. After creating chatbots, image and video generators, and even its own web browser, the company is now allegedly moving on to a music generator.
That is according to a report from The Information. The report states that an insider has said OpenAI is taking steps toward this, working with some students from the Juilliard School to annotate music scores, along with other steps to make a music generator.
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According to The Information, OpenAI has privately discussed generating music with text and audio prompts. While it isn’t clear if this would be incorporated into the company’s video generation tool Sora 2, this could put OpenAI into a unique position of being the first AI company to offer AI audio, video, and music all in one place.
The concern with AI music generators
(Image credit: Future)
OpenAI has faced criticism on multiple occasions for the rolling out of its products. Its launch of image 4o generation included viral trends of popular artists’ work, and its more recent Sora 2 reveal involved offensive recreations of famous celebrities, and legal threats from actors and film companies.
These issues have come from the company’s approach to its tools. Some companies, like Google’s Gemini or Anthropic, have stood firmly on the safer side of AI. There are plenty of safeguards and, in general, an avoidance of anything that could cause controversy.
OpenAI believes that its users should be given a good amount of control over its tools. This was seen with a recent announcement from Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, where he declared plans for an age-gating system, which would allow for 18+ content from ChatGPT, as well as a re-thinking of mental health safeguards to make ChatGPT more customisable.
This kind of approach, if applied to music generation, could land OpenAI in more hot water. Both Suno and Udio, two of the biggest names in AI music generation, were sued for copyright infringement last year.
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(Image credit: Getty Images)
For an OpenAI music generator to be successful, it will need to take the safest route possible, bringing in major record labels and artists to help create a generator that is completely above board.
And then, just a few months ago, Suno faced further accusations of ripping songs from YouTube to power its generator.
For an OpenAI music generator to be successful, it will need to take the safest route possible, bringing in major record labels and artists to help create a generator that is completely above board.
Considering the sway that OpenAI has, this shouldn’t be a problem. It has pulled in major names in the past, collaborating with the likes of Spotify, Zillow, and Booking.com in recent collaborations, as well as partnering with publishing companies (including Future, the publisher of Tom’s Guide) to help train its models.
However, even with the support of the industry, music copyright can be murky territory. Music isn’t always clear-cut, and most attempts at major AI music generators have been met with quick controversy. Maybe OpenAI will be the first to nail the design, but I have my doubts that it will be smooth sailing.
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