Eliah Seton, CEO of SoundCloud, has clarified his position on the use of AI on the platform. This comes in response to user feedback regarding recent changes to the service’s terms and conditions.
The controversy arose from the February updates to SoundCloud’s terms of use. The update appeared to grant permission to use user-uploaded content for training AI models. Users expressed outrage, prompting Seton to issue a letter clarifying the platform’s position on AI and its interaction with user content.
Seton emphasised that SoundCloud has never used artists’ content to train AI models for any purpose. The CEO explicitly stated that SoundCloud does not develop generative AI tools and does not allow third parties to scrape user content for AI training purposes. He reaffirmed the company’s belief that “AI should support artists, not replace them”.
Seton explained that the February updates to the terms of use were intended to clarify how SoundCloud might internally use AI to improve its services for users. This includes enhancing recommendations, search functions, playlist creation, content tagging, and fraud prevention tools.
In response to user feedback, SoundCloud has revised its terms of use. Now, AI training on uploaded content will only occur with the user’s explicit consent via an opt-in mechanism. The new policy prohibits the use of user content to train generative AI models aimed at replicating or synthesising a user’s voice, music, or likeness without their explicit permission.
This development coincides with ongoing discussions in the UK about the government’s approach to fostering a domestic AI industry while protecting copyright laws. There are concerns that tech companies may be circumventing copyright by using protected content for AI training without creator consent. Artists have spoken out strongly against the exploitation of copyrighted works, warning against the “predatory” use of AI in music.
Earlier this year, more than 200 prominent artists signed an open letter urging AI technology companies, developers, platforms, and digital music services to stop using AI in ways that infringe on the rights of human artists and devalue their work. The letter acknowledged the potential creative benefits of AI but highlighted the threats it poses to human artistry, including the unauthorized use of existing work for AI training, which could ultimately lead to the replacement of artists and the dilution of royalties.
The artists’ letter underscored the need for responsible AI development that respects copyright laws and supports, rather than undermines, human creativity.
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