AI and copyright 

I am a young music producer in Arusha who began experimenting with artificial intelligence software to produce beats and background tracks. I uploaded these AI‑generated songs to social media, branding myself as the ‘future of Tanzanian music.’ The tracks quickly gained popularity, and several companies approached me to license the music for advertisements. However, another old producer raised concerns that the AI system I used had been trained on his existing copyrighted songs, and some of the beats sounded strikingly similar to well-known Bongo Flava tracks he had produced before. The producer argued that I could not claim copyright ownership because the music was generated by a machine, not a human. I believe I am the rightful owner since I provided the creative prompts and direction to the AI tool. I want to know whether Tanzanian law recognizes copyright in AI‑generated works.

DJ, Arusha

This is a tricky question. Most AI tools substantially copy existing works, such as music, text, or images already protected by copyright, whereas copyright law requires originality. In Tanzania, copyright matters are governed by the Copyright and Neighbouring Rights Act, Cap. 218 (R.E. 2023), which recognizes human-generated works. At present, there are no specific rules dealing with AI‑generated works. If the matter escalates to Court, the Courts will therefore apply the existing framework, which emphasizes human authorship. That said, this area remains uncertain and is widely regarded as a grey zone. Judges would likely examine the extent of human involvement in the creative process and decide whether the work qualifies for protection, but outcomes may vary in each case until clearer legislation or case law develops. Consult an expert lawyer to guide you further.