Sony Music joins AI policy group despite legal battles

You might assume a company suing two AI startups would avoid AI policy groups altogether. Instead, Sony Music Group just became the first music company to join the Alliance for Responsible Innovation in the Arts & Media, better known as ARIAM.

The announcement came Wednesday from the coalition's Executive Director and CEO, Victoria Furniss.

Just five days before joining ARIAM, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group filed a second lawsuit against Suno in Boston federal court, this time covering 60,202 recordings.

Sony had already sued Udio for a second time back on July 20, asserting more than 30,000 sound recordings it says were copied without permission. Sony remains the only major label without a licensing deal with either AI platform.

Sony Music Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Kevin Kelleher framed the move around protecting artists rather than blocking AI outright. He said generative AI needs to be built "in a responsible and ethical way that puts the value of human artistry at its heart" if it's going to benefit creators and consumers alike.

Kelleher pointed specifically to licensing partnerships with rightsholders as the foundation for getting AI policy right.

Sony Music joins members including Disney, Fox Entertainment, the BBC, Adobe, Condé Nast, the Financial Times, and The New York Times. Furniss called Sony's addition significant, noting that music is "an integral part" of the broader AI conversation affecting the creative community.

ARIAM launched in June 2026 under Furniss, a former Netflix and Warner Bros. executive, with a stated goal of building "responsibility-by-design" frameworks that protect consumers, especially children, not just copyright holders.

Furniss has said the coalition isn't trying to slow AI development but to make sure it sustains the broader creative ecosystem long-term.

ARIAM plans council meetings, leader roundtables, and an annual summit through the rest of 2026.