Grimes has said she is happy for people to clone her voice using artificial intelligence to make music.
The pop singer, real name Claire Boucher, said she is willing to “split 50% royalties on any successful AI-generated song that uses my voice”.
“Same deal as I would with any artist I collab[orate] with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty,” tweeted the musician, 35, who shares two children with Twitter and SpaceX tycoon Elon Musk.
“I think it’s cool to be fused with a machine,” she added.
It comes after a rap track using deepfake versions of the voices of Canadian singers Drake and The Weeknd was recently pulled from Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer and Tidal.
The song, “Heart on My Sleeve”, was streamed 629,439 times on Spotify before it was taken down.
Universal Music Group (UMG) said that it has been looking into using AI in its production for some time, but added that platforms have a “legal and ethical responsibility to prevent the use of their services in ways that harm artists”.
In a letter seen by the Financial Times this month, UMG urged streaming platforms to prevent AI companies being able to access libraries.
It warned: “We will not hesitate to take steps to protect our rights and those of our artists.”
“Heart On My Sleeve” simulates the two singers trading verses about the pop star and actress Selena Gomez, who was previously in a relationship with The Weeknd.
It opens with a repetitive piano figure that transitions into a booming bass beat, as the AI Drake raps: “I came in with my ex like Selena to flex/ Bumpin’ Justin Bieber the fever ain’t left.”
The fake Weeknd responds with a verse where he “alleges” Gomez cheated on him before their breakup in 2017. Neither artist has responded to the song yet, but Drake has expressed displeasure at his voice being cloned.
