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A digital rights group has claimed to have harvested a vast number of tracks from Spotify and is getting ready to publish them online.

Potential Impetus for Artificial Intelligence Training

Observers said the apparent leak could boost artificial intelligence firms looking for data to develop their models.

A group known as Anna’s Archive reported it had scraped 86 million music files from the platform and 256 million entries of associated data such as performer and album names. Spotify, which hosts more than 100 million tracks, confirmed that the breach did not represent its full catalog.

“We have located and deactivated the nefarious user accounts that engaged in illegal scraping,” stated a Spotify spokesperson.

The Stockholm-based company, which has more than 700 million subscribers worldwide, further explained that an inquiry into unauthorised access found a third party collected public metadata and employed illicit tactics to circumvent DRM protections.

Archive's Declared Goal and Worries

Spotify does not believe the music taken by Anna’s Archive has been released yet. Anna’s Archive, which is recognized for offering links to pirated books, said in a blog it wanted to create a ‘historical repository’ for music.

The group asserted the audio files represented 99.6% of all music listened to by Spotify users and would be distributed via ‘peer-to-peer networks’, a means of exchanging large digital files online.

“Of course Spotify doesn’t have all the music in the world, but it’s a great beginning,” commented Anna’s Archive, which frames its mission as “preserving humanity’s information and heritage”.

AI Training and Intellectual Property Battleground

Ed Newton-Rex for defending artists’ copyright, said the breached music would probably be utilized for training AI models.

“Training on illegally sourced material is unfortunately widespread in the AI industry, so this stolen music is almost certain to be used instructing AI models,” he stated.

The Anna’s Archive site makes references to LibGen, a huge online archive of pirated books that has reportedly been used by the parent company of Facebook to develop its AI models.

A founder of an artificial intelligence company wrote on the professional network that members of the public could in principle “build their own personal free equivalent of Spotify”. He said it could also allow technology firms to “educate models on modern music at a large volume”.

Intellectual property law has emerged as a key issue between creatives, authors and content creators on one side and tech giants on the other.

Government Proposals and Responses

Across Britain, artists and writers have raised concerns against a ministerial proposal to allow AI companies use copyright-protected work without consent unless the owner opts out. Almost every respondent to a government consultation on the idea has backed artists’ concerns.

The secretary of state for technology, innovation and technology told parliament this month there was “little consensus” on the issue, noting that ministers would “take the time to get this right”. The administration has pledged to make policy proposals on AI and copyright by next year.