Elvis Presley Estate Sues Anthropic for Stealing His Music βAt a Scale Never Seen Beforeβ To Train AI
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, theyβve 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, theyβre 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 Elvisβ music without permission. They allegedly took 274 of his copyrighted songs, including hits like βCanβt Help Falling in Loveβ.
Lead attorney Richard Busch also claimed that Anthropic has built their entire empire βbased on copyright infringement at a scale never seen before.β βThe Elvis Plaintiffs are deeply protective of these iconic songs,β 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 isnβt the only company getting a ton of heat for infringing on artistsβ 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 βpresented themselves as Ms. Bligeβs official representative.β
As soon as they learned that she didnβt want anything to do with Suno, they pulled the ad immediately. Mary J. Blige hasnβt spoken about the incident since, and itβs not clear who the person is that the Suno team spoke to.
But in the advertisement itself, she seemed to think it was βdopeβ 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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