Artificial intelligence needs a ton of data in order for it to be truly effective. Consequently, companies like Anthropic are going above and beyond, using their technology to train their AI. However, time and time again, they’ve gotten in hot water with artists and estates. They take issue with them using their art and general likeness in order to create their own versions. With the Elvis Presley estate, they’re claiming Anthropic used an unprecedented amount of music in order to push their technology forward.
In a report from Billboard, Authentic Brands Group and the Presley family filed a lawsuit, accusing the tech giant of using Elvis’ music without permission. They allegedly took 274 of his copyrighted songs, including hits like “Can’t Help Falling in Love”.
Lead attorney Richard Busch also claimed that Anthropic has built their entire empire “based on copyright infringement at a scale never seen before.” “The Elvis Plaintiffs are deeply protective of these iconic songs,” he said on behalf of the Elvis Presley Estate.
Plenty of labels have gone to court over their issues with AI companies taking liberties with their musicians. Typically, by the end of the disputes, a settlement finally gets reached, and they quietly partner instead of taking music through backdoors. However, according to Billboard, suing on behalf of Elvis as an individual artist sets a massive precedent for the rest of the music industry.
Elvis Presley Estate Takes Anthropic to Court for Mass Amounts of Copyright Infringement to Train AI
Anthropic isn’t the only company getting a ton of heat for infringing on artists’ work. Suno similarly got in hot water with Mary J. Blige earlier this year after uploading an ad with her without permission.
Back in September 2026, the R&B legend faced a ton of backlash for starring in an ad promoting Suno while in the studio. However, apparently, she never approved of it in the first place. The AI firm allegedly spoke to someone who “presented themselves as Ms. Blige’s official representative.”
As soon as they learned that she didn’t want anything to do with Suno, they pulled the ad immediately. Mary J. Blige hasn’t spoken about the incident since, and it’s not clear who the person is that the Suno team spoke to.
But in the advertisement itself, she seemed to think it was “dope” despite not really understanding how it works. Moreover, Blige seemed open to the idea of tinkering with AI further in the future.
Photo by Oscar Abolafia/TPLP/Getty Images
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