A chilling new global economic study casts a dark shadow over the future of human musicians and artists. The findings paint a stark picture: artificial intelligence (AI) poses a significant and rapidly escalating threat to their livelihoods, with potentially catastrophic financial consequences within the next five years.
The study, conducted by the French-founded creators’ rights advocacy organization CISAC (Confédération Internationale des Sociétés d’Auteurs et Compositeurs), projects a staggering €10 billion loss for music creators over the next five years. This translates to an annual loss of €4 billion by 2028, assuming the current rate of AI-generated music market penetration continues. This alarming statistic underscores the potentially devastating impact of AI on the creative landscape.
The report reveals a stark imbalance. While human creators face substantial financial losses, tech companies stand to gain immensely. The same €4 billion projected loss for human artists is predicted to become profit for tech firms developing and deploying AI music generation technology. By 2028, the market for AI-generated music is expected to balloon to a massive €16 billion annually. This growth will be largely driven by streaming platforms, where algorithmic playlists could prioritize AI-generated tracks over human-created music, particularly for background music and passive listening experiences.
The threat extends beyond music. The study forecasts an even more significant expansion in the audiovisual sector, with the market for AI-generated video content and AI-assisted production tools projected to reach €48 billion by 2028. While some may view AI tools as helpful additions to an artist’s toolbox, the reality is that tech companies can produce vastly larger volumes of content at a fraction of the cost, effectively outcompeting human creators.
This economic disruption is compounded by a crucial ethical issue: the training of AI models. These models are often trained on copyrighted works without the authorization of the original creators. CISAC Director General Gadi Oron aptly summarized the problem: “The study shows the enormous value that copyright works bring to Gen AI companies.” This amounts to the unfair and unethical appropriation of artists’ work to boost the profits of tech giants while leaving the original creators with nothing.
CISAC President Björn Ulvaeus adds a layer of cautionary nuance: “For creators of all kinds… AI has the power to unlock new and exciting opportunities – but we have to accept that, if badly regulated, generative AI also has the power to cause great damage to human creators, to their careers and livelihoods.”
This groundbreaking study, the first of its kind to quantify the global economic impact of generative AI on music and audiovisual creators, serves as a critical wake-up call. CISAC is urging policymakers to take swift and decisive action. Implementing legislative changes that safeguard the rights of artists and protect the creative industries is not merely a matter of fairness but a necessity for the long-term health and vibrancy of creative expression itself. The future of creative work hangs in the balance, and decisive policy intervention is urgently needed to prevent a devastating erosion of livelihoods and artistic innovation.
