Sony Music has created a new position — Executive VP Of AI, hiring former BPI CEO Geoff Taylor, according to Billboard, who obtained an internal memo from the company. The new role will involve Sony “coordinating its business efforts surrounding artificial intelligence” and “coordinating across the global digital business and business and legal affairs division.” Sounds about as vague as one would expect when dealing with an ever-changing, amorphous thing like AI and C-suite jobs.
Here’s the full memo sent from Sony Music Entertainment COO Kevin Kelleher.
All,
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has great significance for the future of the music industry and, as a result, more focused attention on it is required.
Accordingly, we are delighted to share that Geoff Taylor will be joining us as our new Executive Vice President, Artificial Intelligence.
Reporting to me and working closely with our Global Digital Business and Business & Legal Affairs divisions, Geoff will align and help coordinate the work of every part of the business that touches AI.
Geoff brings to our company decades of music industry experience. Most recently, from 2007 to 2022 Geoff was the Chief Executive of the BPI, our UK Trade Body for recorded music, where he led the fight against piracy and fraud and advocated for the strategic importance of recorded music to jobs, investment and maintaining the UK’s global competitiveness. Prior to joining the BPI, Geoff was General Counsel and Executive Vice-President at our global recorded music trade body, the IFPI from 2005-2007.
In these roles, Geoff has worked with our company for several years and I am delighted he is joining to help us successfully navigate a key moment in the history of the music industry.
So please join me in welcoming Geoff to Sony Music and feel free to reach out to him with any questions you might have at [Sony Music Entertainment Email Redacted].
Kevin
Meanwhile, last week the Recording Academy announced Grammy submission rules around music created with artificial intelligence, noting that “only human creators are eligible to be submitted for consideration.” That said, they did offer a caveat: music that features elements of AI could be eligible if it meats certain requirements.
Speaking to the Hollywood Reporter this week, President and CEO Harvey Mason Jr. said, “We will not be awarding a Grammy to AI. If you’re awarding a Grammy to AI, I would be uncomfortable or even curious to know who we’re going to give the Grammy to. So for now, we’re going to … give the Grammy to the human side of the creativity.”
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