Journalist: Jasmine Hornek (ORU)
Every day, approximately 34 million images are generated using artificial intelligence, according to data from Everypixel. A 2025 report by ZipDo Education found that 45% of musicians have used AI tools to compose or produce music. Whether good or bad, one thing is clear: less art is created solely through human effort with each passing day.
For some students at the Oklahoma Intercollegiate Legislature, this accelerating shift is more than a technological trend—it is a threat to artists themselves. One of those students is Priya Bhandari, a sophomore majoring in political science and pre-law at Oklahoma State University.
“I think in regard to arts and music, AI can easily infringe on what an actual human can do and create,” Bhandari said. She then mentioned a bill that caught her eye: The Artist Protection Act.
The bill would require explicit authorization from any artist before an AI system can use their voice. It would also mandate clear labeling on AI-generated music, ensuring listeners are informed when a track was created with artificial intelligence rather than a human performer.
Under the proposed legislation, unauthorized AI replication of an artist’s voice would carry fines up to $10,000 per infraction, and up to $50,000 if a major corporation commits the violation. Supporters argue that these guardrails are necessary as AI models become more capable of imitating human creators with little oversight.
Bhandari said hearing debate on the bill only strengthened her opinion. “It reaffirmed what I already thought,” she said. “I was not sure how people would feel about AI infringement, so it was interesting to hear so many people support it.”
She also noted that she has already written a bill on AI herself, and she believes the issue will only grow as artificial intelligence becomes more capable and more widespread.
Though AI continues to reshape the creative landscape—with millions of new images and songs produced by code every day—students like Bhandari argue that human artists deserve a legal shield.
After all, she said, “You cannot stop AI. But you can protect people.”