Tennessee becomes first US state to protect musicians from threat of AI

Legislation is designed to protect music industry professionals against intellectual property being replicated without consent

Bill Lee, the governor of Tennessee, signed off on legislation on Thursday, designed to protect songwriters, performers and other music industry professionals against the potential dangers of artificial intelligence.

The move makes Tennessee, long known as the birthplace of country music and the launchpad for musical legends, the first state in the US to enact such measures. Supporters say the goal is to ensure that AI tools cannot replicate an artist's voice without their consent. The bill goes into effect on 1 July.