Universal Music Group (UMG) has formed partnership with KLAY Vision, a US-based artificial intelligence (AI) music company, to develop a commercial ethical foundational model for AI-generated music.

This AI collaboration aims to work in harmony with the music industry and its creators.

UMG and KLAY believe that advanced AI models should be built and scaled responsibly, through “constructive dialogue and consensus” from those who contribute to the cultural landscape.

KLAY highlighted that building ethical, copyright-respecting generative AI models can reduce risks to creators and open new avenues for creativity and copyright monetisation.

KLAY, led by industry experts such as Ary Attie, Thomas Hesse, and soon-to-join Bj?rn Winckler from Google Deepmind, is focused on supporting artists, songwriters, and rights holders.

The company says it is creating a global ecosystem for AI-driven experiences and content that ensures “accurate” attribution and does not compete with traditional music services.

Universal Music executive vice president, and chief digital officer Michael Nash said: “We are excited to partner with entrepreneurs like the team leading KLAY, to explore new opportunities and ethical solutions for artists and the wider music ecosystem, advancing generative AI technology in ways that are both respectful of copyright and have the potential to profoundly impact human creativity.”

KLAY founder and CEO Ary Attie said: “Research is critical to building the foundations for AI music, but the tech is only an empty vessel when it does not engage with the culture it is meant to serve.

“KLAY’s obsession is not just to showcase its research innovation but to make it invisible and mission-critical to people’s daily lives. Only then can music AI become more than a short-lived gimmick. Our great artists have always embraced the newest technologies – we believe the next Beatles will play with KLAY.”

UMG and KLAY’s collaboration follows legal actions by the Recording Industry Association of America against AI music generation services providers Suno and Udio for alleged copyright infringement.

The cases involve mass infringement of copyrighted sound recordings by these AI music generation services.

The lawsuits were filed in Massachusetts and New York, with plaintiffs including Sony Music Entertainment, UMG Recordings, and Warner Records, covering infringed recordings across various genres and eras.

"UMG and KLAY Vision collaborate on ethical AI music model " was originally created and published by Verdict, a GlobalData owned brand.