Music Tech Startup 'Artist Included' Launches to Help Legacy Artists Reclaim Masters Using Ethical AI

At a moment when artificial intelligence is frequently viewed as an existential threat to musicians, a new Los Angeles-based startup is attempting to flip the script. Artist Included officially launched this week with a mission to use AI to help legacy artists reclaim ownership of their classic catalogs. Co-founded by entrepreneur Paul “PK” Kemsley and entertainment attorney Jeremy Rosen, the company aims to create new, artist-owned master recordings that can compete in today's lucrative sync and streaming markets.[2][3]

To mark its debut, the company released a newly recorded, AI-assisted version of Culture Club's 1983 global smash hit "Karma Chameleon." The release was timed to coincide with frontman Boy George's 65th birthday, serving as both a celebration of the track's enduring legacy and a proof-of-concept for the startup's ethical AI model. Boy George, who also serves as the company's creative director, collaborated closely on the project to ensure the new version remained faithful to the original.[1][3][5]

The catalyst for the venture was rooted in the harsh economic realities of legacy music contracts. Recently, a commercial sync license for "Karma Chameleon" was arranged for Virgin Voyages, a deal that paid an estimated $4 million. However, because Boy George does not own the master rights to the original recording, roughly half of that money went to the master rights holders, while the singer walked away with only an appearance fee. "Karma's a bitch," he noted, expressing his excitement at finally having some say over where his music goes.[5]

Artist Included's process is distinctly different from the fully synthetic, text-to-audio generation that has sparked widespread copyright lawsuits across the industry. For the new "Karma Chameleon," Boy George recorded fresh vocals in the studio. The company's technology partner, Syntiant, then applied its advanced vocal AI platform to analyze and model the unique tonal characteristics of his 22-year-old voice from archival demos. The AI was used to support and enhance the new performance, capturing the youthful timbre listeners recognize while preserving the singer's modern phrasing and emotional intent.[3][4][5]

The instrumentation was also entirely re-recorded by original Culture Club guitarist Roy Hay and bassist Mikey Craig, ensuring that no unauthorized samples from the 1983 master were used. The result is a track that sounds remarkably close to a carefully handled remaster, but exists as a completely new legal entity. Because this new master is owned by the artist and the company, they can now license it directly for film, television, advertising, gaming, and brand partnerships, capturing the revenue that previously flowed exclusively to legacy rights holders.[2][5]

Industry experts see this as a significant pivot in the narrative surrounding music and technology. While major labels and publishers have spent the past year battling AI startups over unauthorized training data and deepfakes, Artist Included is building a model grounded in consent, transparency, and rights clearance. Kemsley emphasized that for decades, artists created the soundtrack to people's lives while the long-term value moved away from them, and this venture was built specifically to reverse that dynamic.[2][3]

The launch arrives at a critical juncture for the music business. With AI-generated tracks flooding streaming platforms and major artists suing over unauthorized voice cloning, the demand for ethical, artist-approved AI frameworks has never been higher. Seed investors in Artist Included, which include tech veterans and Red Light Management, are betting that legacy artists will eagerly adopt tools that allow them to participate in the future economics of their own brands.[2][3]

Looking ahead, Artist Included plans to roll out additional releases in collaboration with legendary artists spanning the 1960s through the 2000s. The company intends to explore a wide array of formats for these new masters, including exclusive vinyl releases, Dolby Atmos mixes, foreign-language adaptations, and trailerized versions for Hollywood blockbusters. For Boy George, the project is about more than just economics; it is a deliberate act of reclamation, ensuring that the song can keep evolving for new audiences on his own terms.[1][2][3]