Tifa wages war on AI music thieves

Dancehall artiste Tifa is set to join members of the Recording Academy in a meeting with a Florida congressional representative to support the proposed No Fakes Act.

The proposed legislation would establish federal protections against the unauthorised use of a person’s voice, image and likeness through artificial intelligence, requiring consent before AI-generated replicas can be created or distributed.

The bipartisan bill was reintroduced in the US Congress in 2025 and is currently before congressional committees. It must complete the committee review process before it can be debated and voted on by the full House of Representatives and Senate.

The engagement marks another milestone in Tifa’s growing role in industry advocacy following her recent appointment as a voting member of the Recording Academy. Through her involvement, the entertainer is helping to advance discussions on protecting artistes’ creative identities, preserving their livelihoods and ensuring that emerging technologies do not undermine the rights of music creators.

For Tifa, the issue is particularly important in an industry where recording artistes depend on royalties, publishing and other creative earnings to sustain their careers.

“As artistes, we don’t have a pension, and royalties and publishing are everything to us — that is our pension,” she explained. “So, if that is being affected by AI in terms of abuse and misuse, a stoppage needs to come to it. It is unethical and illegal to steal, misuse and abuse people’s work, likeness, image and artistry.”

The No Fakes Act seeks to address the unauthorised creation and distribution of digital replicas of individuals’ voices and likenesses. Tifa’s advocacy also extends to the No Train Act and the Protect Working Artists Act, reflecting broader concerns about how artificial intelligence may affect the rights, earnings and creative contributions of music professionals.

As a voting member of the Recording Academy, Tifa is strengthening her participation in discussions shaping the future of the music industry, bringing the perspective of a Jamaican dancehall artiste to an increasingly global conversation about technology, ownership and fair compensation. While championing these issues, Tifa continues to build her own musical catalogue and international profile. Her single Wey Dem Dey is among her current releases gaining traction globally, while a separate high-profile collaboration titled For You is gaining momentum on the Billboard Rhythmic charts.

The collaboration, which debuted at No. 39 and has since climbed to No. 33, reimagines a familiar 1990s hit originally produced by Tony Kelly and featuring Nadine Sutherland, Snow and other artistes. The updated production, produced by McGregor, brings together performers from different generations, including Snoop Dogg, Beenie Man, Tifa, Elephant Man, Stefflon Don, Vanessa Bling, Dayani, Shaneil Muir, Pamputtae and Kraff.

“It’s a perfect mixture of three generations of artistes,” Tifa said of the production.

The chart performance adds to Tifa’s history of international recognition. In 2014, she appeared on the Billboard Emerging Artists chart with her single Bak It Up. She remains open to exploring further international collaborations, although she is keeping details of upcoming projects under wraps.

“Yes, but I can’t say who at the moment. Wall have ears,” she teased.

From advancing her music internationally to advocating for protections against the misuse of artistes’ voices and likenesses, Tifa is positioning herself as part of a wider effort to ensure that creators retain control over their work and creative identities in an evolving digital landscape.