Australia's official music charts will no longer feature songs that are largely or wholly created by artificial intelligence, following a decision by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) to implement new guidelines.
Effective this week, all music releases must be "substantially human made" to be eligible for charting. ARIA stated the new code aims to "promote the human nature of artistry" amid growing concerns about AI-generated content in the music industry.
The change comes after a controversy involving a remix of Madonna's "Like A Prayer" by Australian DJ Josh Faze, which was largely AI-generated and topped the ARIA dance singles chart, reaching number two on the overall chart. The track garnered significant airplay and over 48 million streams on Spotify alone. Faze later added generative AI credits to the song after facing backlash.
ARIA's chief executive, Annabelle Herd, emphasized that the organization is "not interested in promoting or celebrating the success of AI-generated music that does not contain human artistry." She noted that artists are competing in an increasingly crowded market, and a chart that rewards AI output without human input would undermine the industry ARIA represents.
Under the updated code, AI tools can still be utilized in music creation, but humans must have written the song and performed the lead vocals and primary instruments. AI remains permissible for tasks such as mastering and the use of tools like drum machines and auto-tune.
This move by ARIA aligns with similar actions taken globally. Earlier this year, a song created by AI was banned from Sweden's music charts. In July, the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) announced plans to roll out AI guidelines for official charts in Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, and Southeast Asia. ARIA's updated code is based on this IFPI directive.
The new ARIA code also excludes music that raises "stream or chart manipulation concerns." Artists will be required to declare any use of AI when submitting a song for chart consideration. ARIA reserves the right to retrospectively adjust chart positions if music is found to be largely AI-generated, and may even request the return of awards if an AI-generated piece topped the charts.
Artists and their representatives will have the ability to challenge exclusions. Australian electronic act Peking Duk expressed support for the move, having previously shared an AI-assisted version of their song "High" with a caption humorously noting it was to ensure Australian radio play. Band member Adam Hyde commented that AI-generated music risks "removing the human experience from life."
In July of the previous year, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had pledged strong protections for Australian creatives against AI, stating that writers and musicians should have control over how their work is used for AI training and be compensated, calling unauthorized use "theft."