Google and AI Music: YouTube Creators Angry

Google Faces Lawsuit from Independent Musicians

A group of independent musicians has filed a lawsuit against Google, accusing the company of illegally using their songs uploaded to YouTube to train its artificial intelligence model, Lyria 3. Google responded by filing a motion to dismiss the case, arguing that the lawsuit is based on unfounded assumptions regarding the use of their specific works.

Google contends that even if the plaintiffs' allegations were true, the complaint would not succeed. The company claims that the musicians granted YouTube and Google a broad license allowing the use of their content, as stipulated in YouTube's Terms of Service.

Google's Public Statements

When asked whether it uses YouTube videos to train Lyria 3, Google declined to comment. However, previous statements suggest that this could be the case. In April 2024, Neal Mohan, CEO of YouTube, indicated in an interview that certain YouTube videos could be used to train models like Gemini. A subsequent blog post confirmed the use of uploaded content to enhance products through machine learning.

Google also confirmed to CNBC the use of YouTube uploads to train other models like Gemini and Veo, but did not specifically mention Lyria.

Legal and Strategic Implications

In its motion to dismiss, Google emphasizes that the plaintiffs accepted YouTube's terms of service, which allow the company to reproduce, distribute, and create derivative works from uploads. Despite hints suggesting the use of videos for Lyria, Google chooses not to admit to this practice, preferring to maintain plausible deniability due to ongoing litigation.