Purely AI-generated songs declared ineligible for Grammy Awards

Amid increasing use of generative AI in music, the Recording Academy has updated its rules for the 66th annual Grammy Awards regarding the role of AI in considered works, Reuters reports. To be eligible for an award, a song must have meaningful human authorship. Purely algorithmically generated music cannot win a Grammy.

According to the 66th Grammy Awards Rules & Guidelines booklet, works generated solely by AI are not eligible for the awards. However, the Academy does not completely exclude AI's potential role in the creation process. Works that incorporate elements of "AI-generated material" are eligible if they meet two key criteria. 

• "The human-authored components of the work must be meaningful and more than 'de minimis.'" (The booklet defines "de minimis" as "lacking significance or importance, or so minor as to merit disregard.")
• "These human-authored components must be relevant to the category in which the work is entered. For instance, if the work is submitted in a songwriting category, there should be significant human authorship involved in the music and/or lyrics. Similarly, for a performance category, the human performance element should be significant."