The bipartisan bill protects every American’s voice and likeness from unauthorized usage
Today, Recording Academy leaders and members culminated Grammys on the Hill Advocacy Day at a press conference on Capitol Hill with Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Reps. Madeleine Dean (D-PA) and Maria Salazar (R-FL) to announce the reintroduction of the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe Act. Also known as the NO FAKES Act, this bipartisan, bicameral bill would advance creators’ rights by protecting their voices and likenesses from the unauthorized creation and use of digital replicas. Also at today’s press conference were stakeholders from the Human Artistry Campaign – where the Academy is a founding member – along with MPA, RIAA, SAG-AFTRA, Warner Music Group, and YouTube.
The reintroduction comes as the Academy is gathering in the nation’s capital for its annual Grammys on the Hill initiative, music’s biggest week in Washington, D.C. that honored country music legend and seven-time Grammy winner Randy Travis, as well as Reps. Linda Sánchez (D-CA) and Ron Estes (R-KS), for their steadfast support of music creators. The week also connected Academy leaders and members with members of Congress to advocate for incentivizing new music production through the HITS Act, protecting creators against harmful AI through the NO FAKES Act, and preserving continued federal support for the arts and cultural institutions.
“The Academy is proud to represent and serve creators, and for decades, Grammys on the Hill has brought music makers to our nation’s capital to elevate the policy issues affecting our industry,” says Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason, Jr. “Today’s reintroduction of the NO FAKES Act underscores our members’ commitment to advocating for the music community, and as we enter a new era of technology, we must create guardrails around AI and ensure it enhances – not replaces – human creativity. We thank Senators Blackburn and Coons, and Representatives Dean and Salazar for their unwavering support on this issue, and we look forward to working alongside them to pass the NO FAKES Act this Congress.”
“This bill proves that we can prioritize the growth of AI and protecting American creativity at the same time,” shares Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) Chairman & CEO Mitch Galzier. “We applaud Senators Blackburn, Coons, Tillis and Klobuchar; Representatives Salazar, Dean, Moran, Balint and bipartisan colleagues for their incredible leadership on driving this legislation that provides balanced and effective protections for all individuals against exploitative uses of their voice and likeness while supporting free speech, reducing litigation and achieving the promise of AI technology.”
The NO FAKES Act will give every American the right to protect their voice and likeness from invasive AI deepfakes and voice clones; reduce litigation by allowing UGC platforms to avoid liability by promptly removing unauthorized deepfakes; and expressly protect First Amendment uses such as for news reporting and satire.
Losing his own voice due to a stroke in 2013, Randy Travis personally knows how AI done right can be a valuable tool to expand artistry. He released “Where That Came From” with the help of Warner Music Nashville employing an AI model to create new music in his own voice for the first time in over a decade. Randy and Mary Travis strongly endorsed the NO FAKES Act at the Capitol Hill event, the only bill that will protect artists and performers from having their voice, image and livelihood stolen and used against them.
Additional legislation to protect creators in the age of AI include the successful passage of the ELVIS Act in Tennessee in 2024, which inspired similar legislation in California and Illinois.
