Photo Credit: Anders Manga (Instagram)
A musician is suing Stability AI for copyright infringement, alleging that works were used for AI training purposes without authorization.
A musician alleges that Stability AI is using his work for AI training despite his requests to opt out after the company’s public-facing “artist-first” promises. In a federal copyright infringement lawsuit filed on December 29, darkwave pioneer Anders Manga claims that his work was used for artificial intelligence training in violation of the 2015 agreement he signed and his opt-out requests.
Manga’s lawsuit was filed in the Western District of North Carolina against Stability AI and its music licensing partner Navarr Enterprises (AudioSparx). It alleges a stark contrast between the AI company’s public marketing and its private practices.
Board members like James Cameron and Sean Parker have pushed the company’s pivot to an “artist-centric” model and a commitment to “creative collaboration” with the artistic community. But Manga claims a different reality takes place behind the scenes.
Stability AI has publicly claimed that artists were given the ability to opt out of being used to train its Stable Audio AI model. However, Anders says he was repeatedly denied removal by AudioSparx, the company’s licensing partner. At the same time, he claims Stability’s in-house counsel deferred to their partner’s position.
According to the complaint, the works were used under a 2015 agreement that did not grant authorization to copy or use the works for artificial intelligence training. The lawsuit claims these uses were “not contemplated by, disclosed in, or authorized under” the original license, which pre-dates artificial intelligence.
Anders argues that copying full-length recordings for AI training is a distinct, unauthorized commercial use intended to create a tool that competes with human artists—despite the board’s claims to empower such creators.
The artist’s lawsuit comes after a whirlwind six months for Stability AI, which changed its stance on licensing and compensation for artists in late July. Since then, the company has inked deals with Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group, putting an end to massive lawsuits hinging on the unauthorized use of creators’ work.
Meanwhile, Stability AI asserts that its Stable Audio family of models was built specifically for professionals and trained exclusively on licensed data in order to “support responsible, high-quality music and sound generation.”
