• Australia’s top music charts will ban wholly AI-generated music.
• New rules require music to be "substantially human made" to qualify.
• The decision follows concerns raised by a Madonna cover controversy.
• Recordings that utilize AI as a support tool will still be eligible.
• Major platforms like Spotify are implementing systems to label AI-generated content.

Australia's top music charts will ban music made entirely by artificial intelligence under new guidelines issued by the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA). The new rules, effective immediately, mandate that only music deemed "substantially human made" can qualify for the ARIA Charts. Wholly AI-generated tracks will be excluded, while those that use AI in a supportive role remain eligible, according to SCMP and Bangkok Post.

This move comes in response to industry concerns regarding a spike in AI-generated music, notably a July incident where a cover of Madonna's "Like a Prayer" topped the charts, raising questions about the authenticity of its production. Streaming platform Spotify is also responding by introducing an "AI Persona" badge to help users identify AI-generated content, as more than one-third of new uploads to Apple Music are reportedly fully created using AI, according to Reuters and SCMP.

Annabelle Herd, ARIA CEO, emphasized that these changes reflect the industry's intent to promote the "human nature of artistry" as AI technology rapidly evolves. "A chart that rewards unlicensed AI output would undercut the very basis of the recorded music we exist to represent," she stated, as the organization aims to maintain transparency in music consumption and artistry, according to Bangkok Post and Reuters.