In early April, over 200 major artists — including Billie Eilish, Nicki Minaj, J Balvin, Chuck D, and Q-Tip — signed an open letter calling for the responsible use of AI in music. Penned by the Artists Rights Alliance, the letter issues a powerful warning: Artificial Intelligence, when used without accountability, threatens not just individual artists but the entire creative ecosystem.
At the Women’s Music Alliance (WMA), we stand in solidarity with this call for ethical and transparent development of AI tools. Because while these technologies offer potential benefits, they also raise deep concerns — especially for women and gender-diverse artists who already face systemic underrepresentation and exploitation in the industry.
Let’s be clear: AI is not inherently bad. Used with intention and consent, it can be a powerful tool for creativity, accessibility, and innovation. But when it’s used to mimic or replicate an artist’s voice without permission, or to churn out music that’s trained on copyrighted work without compensation — that’s not innovation. That’s theft.
For underrepresented creators, the risks are even greater. Marginalized artists — many of whom already struggle for visibility, credit, and fair pay — are at risk of being further silenced by machine-generated content that borrows from our voices without acknowledging our humanity. If we’re not careful, AI could amplify existing inequalities by prioritizing what’s easy to reproduce over what’s necessary to protect.
This moment is a wake-up call.
We need to ensure that the future of music prioritizes consent, compensation, and creative sovereignty. WMA believes in building a music industry that centers care — not just for the art, but for the people behind it. That includes fighting for transparency in technology, fair policies that protect creators’ rights, and holding companies accountable when they cross ethical lines.
As women and gender-diverse artists, producers, and organizers, we must claim our space in this conversation. If we’re not part of shaping the future of music, we risk being erased from it.
Let’s stand together for a music industry that respects human creativity, not one that tries to replace it.
With solidarity,
Women’s Music Alliance Team
Women's Music Alliance 
Leave a comment