Last February, the music-sharing platform SoundCloud discreetly revised its terms of service, incorporating wording that permits them to utilize user-generated content for training their artificial intelligence models.
TechCrunch
reported
And even though the company states it has not utilized user-generated content for model training up until now, it does not completely dismiss the potential of doing so in the future.
Marni Greenberg, who serves as the Senior Vice President and leads Communications at SoundCloud, offered the following remarks in an email statement sent out.
The Verge
.
SoundCloud has always refrained from using artist content to train AI models and does not create AI tools itself or permit third parties to extract or utilize SoundCloud content from our platform for AI training. We have also put in place various technological protections, such as an “AI-free” label on our website, specifically to prevent improper usage.
Greenberg further stated that the recent updates to SoundCloud’s terms of service were aimed at clarifying “how content can engage with AI technologies within their own platform.” She mentioned that the firm employs AI for tasks such as offering tailored suggestions and preventing fraudulent activities. Greenberg also indicated that potential future applications of AI on their platform will likely follow comparable paths.
When we inquired about allowing users to choose not to have their music utilized for generative AI development, this is what Greenberg responded with:
The Terms of Service clearly state that using licensed material, like music from big record companies, to train any AI models, including those used for generating new content, is strictly forbidden. However, concerning other kinds of content posted on SoundCloud, the Terms of Service permit potential uses related to artificial intelligence.
Significantly, this scenario has not occurred yet, and SoundCloud plans to implement strong internal permissioning controls to manage any possible future usage. If we were to contemplate utilizing user-generated content for training generative AI models, we would first establish transparent opt-out options at least—and continue to uphold our commitment to openness within our creator community.
Fingers crossed, SoundCloud will take more substantial steps to inform users about these opt-out options compared to what seems to have happened with the previous AI-related updates to their terms of service from last year. As tech ethicist Ed Newton-Rex pointed out,
spotted the changes
reported by
TechCrunch
They mentioned that they “aren’t receiving any email alerts” regarding the modifications to the terms. I have also submitted content to SoundCloud, and similarly, I did not come across any notifications about these changes when I looked.
SoundCloud’s terms say
It will offer “significant notice” regarding major changes to its terms, though it does not ensure you’ll receive this information via email.
Here is SoundCloud’s initial complete statement, as supplied to them.
The Verge
by Greenberg:
SoundCloud has consistently prioritized artists and will continue to do so. The emphasis lies on providing creators with authority, transparency, and substantial chances for development. We think that AI, if created ethically, can enhance creative capabilities—particularly when these enhancements adhere to guidelines of permission, acknowledgment, and equitable remuneration.
SoundCloud has always refrained from using artists’ content to train AI models and does not create AI tools itself or permit third-party scraping of SoundCloud material for such purposes. We have also put in place various technological protections, like an “AI-free” label on our website, to prevent improper usage clearly.
The February 2024 revision of our Terms of Service aimed to specify how content can engage with AI technologies on SoundCloud’s platform itself. Examples of such use cases encompass personalized suggestions, content arrangement, fraud prevention, and enhancements to content recognition through the utilization of AI technologies.
Future implementations of artificial intelligence at SoundCloud will aim to assist human artists by boosting their tools, expanding their possibilities, and increasing their visibility within the platform. This could involve refining music suggestions, curating playlists, categorizing material, and identifying suspicious actions. All these initiatives align with current licensing contracts and moral guidelines. Technologies such as Musiio serve solely for discovering new talent and sorting through media; they do not contribute to training generative AI systems.
We acknowledge the concerns expressed and stay dedicated to maintaining an open conversation. Artists will retain authority over their creations, and we’ll ensure our community stays updated throughout our exploration of innovations and responsible use of AI technology. This commitment holds particularly true as legal and commercial structures continue to develop.
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