The artificial intelligence company used to create the viral hit “BBL Drizzy” is in hot water with major record labels.
According to Wired, the Recording Industry Association of America—on behalf of Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group, and Warner Music Group—filed two copyright infringement cases on Monday against AI startups Suno and Udio, in Massachusetts and New York, respectively.
The RIAA alleges copyright infringement, claiming that the startups trained their AI models using unlicensed sound recordings. Both lawsuits allege that the labels were able to independently create tracks that have a resemblance to copyrighted songs from their catalogs.
“Unlicensed services like Suno and Udio that claim it’s ‘fair’ to copy an artist’s life’s work and exploit it for their own profit without consent or pay set back the promise of genuinely innovative AI for us all,” said RIAA chair and CEO Mitch Glazier in a press release, per Wired.
The plaintiffs are reportedly seeking up to $150,000 per work infringed. Wired’s report did not say if the RIAA provided a tally or comprehensive list of songs allegedly infringed by Suno and Udio in its complaint.
Wired also notes that neither app has publicly disclosed what its AI generators are trained with.
CNN reports that Udio was the app that comedian and tech enthusiast King Willonius used to create “BBL Drizzy,” which became a viral hit at the height of Drake’s feud with Rick Ross, Kendrick Lamar, Future, Metro Boomin, and others.