The Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) has banned songs that are largely or wholly created by artificial intelligence from the country's music charts, requiring all eligible releases to be "substantially human made" from this week. The move follows controversy over a cover of Madonna's "Like A Prayer" by DJ Josh Fawaz, which topped the ARIA dance singles chart and reached number two overall before he added generative AI credits amid backlash. ARIA said it wanted to protect the "human nature of artistry" in a crowded market, rather than reward AI-generated music built on other artists' recordings.

Under the new rules, based on guidelines from the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, humans must write the song and perform lead vocals and primary instruments, though AI can still be used for mastering, drum machines and auto-tune. Artists must declare AI use when submitting songs, and ARIA can retrospectively adjust chart positions or reclaim number-one awards if AI involvement later emerges; exclusions can be challenged. Sweden previously banned an AI-made song from its charts, and artists including Peking Duk have backed the change, while Fawaz's Madonna cover had racked up more than 48 million Spotify streams.