Anthropic sued over alleged use of 274 Elvis Presley songs to train AI models

The lawsuit could add pressure on AI companies over how they use copyrighted music

Anthropic is facing a copyright lawsuit from the company that manages Elvis Presley’s music and likeness, which alleges that the artificial intelligence developer used 274 of the singer’s songs to train its AI models without permission.

Authentic Brands Group, which controls licensing rights connected to Presley’s music and image, filed the lawsuit on Friday, according to The Guardian. The case accuses Anthropic of infringing copyrights belonging to songs from the late singer’s catalogue.

The works named in the allegations include “Can’t Help Falling in Love”, “All Shook Up” and “A Little Less Conversation”. The lawsuit claims Anthropic used copyrighted material to train Claude, its AI model, and alleges that the system can generate outputs that infringe music copyrights.

The plaintiffs are seeking up to $150,000 for each allegedly infringed track, amounting to approximately $41m across the 274 songs. These are claims made in the lawsuit, and the allegations have not been established as facts in court.

The legal action adds to growing disputes over whether AI companies can use copyrighted creative works to develop their systems without obtaining permission or paying rights holders. Music labels and artists have raised concerns that their recordings, lyrics and distinctive voices could be used to produce AI generated material without their consent.

The case could have wider implications for music rights owners seeking to protect their catalogues as AI technology develops. Presley’s catalogue remains commercially valuable decades after his death, making the licensing and control of his work an important issue for the rights holders.

In its complaint, the plaintiffs argue that Anthropic’s business model relies on the use of copyrighted material on a large scale. The lawsuit also questions whether safeguards introduced by the company are sufficient to prevent its AI systems from producing material that allegedly infringes copyright.

Anthropic has faced other copyright disputes involving creative works used in AI training. The Presley case, however, brings the interests of a major music catalogue rights holder directly into the debate.

The outcome may help clarify how copyright law applies when AI developers train models using existing songs and other protected creative material.