AI-Generated Music Mimics Artists, Raising Copyright and Ethical Concerns

Award-winning folk singer Emily Portman and other musicians are finding their identities and artistic styles exploited by AI-generated music uploaded to streaming platforms under their names. The issue raises complex questions about copyright, artistic integrity, and the responsibilities of streaming services in the age of artificial intelligence.

Folk Singer's "Creepy" AI Doppelganger

Last month, Sheffield-based singer Emily Portman received an unexpected message from a fan praising her "new album." Confused, Portman discovered an AI-generated album called "Orca" available on Spotify, iTunes, and other platforms, falsely credited to her. The music, she says, was eerily similar to her folk style, with song titles uncannily close to what she might choose. "It was something that Portman, who won a BBC Folk Award in 2013, found 'really creepy'," she said.

While AI-generated music is common online, it is usually released under fictitious names or imitates famous artists. This growing trend of targeting established, but not superstar, artists by uploading fake albums directly onto their official streaming pages is a worrying development.

"Vacuous and Pristine": The Lack of Human Input

Portman successfully filed copyright complaints to have the albums removed, but the experience has highlighted the lack of legal safeguards for artists. Although some platforms acted quickly, Spotify took three weeks to remove "Orca," and Portman is still struggling to regain control of her Spotify artist profile.

She describes the AI-generated music as "vacuous and pristine," lacking the human element and imperfections that make music meaningful. "I'll never be able to sing that perfectly in tune. And that's not the point. I don't want to. I'm human."

Josh Kaufman: "Signature of Our Soul"

New York-based musician Josh Kaufman, who has worked with Taylor Swift, also found himself the victim of AI music fraud. A track called "Someone Who's Love Me" appeared on his streaming profile, which he described as sounding like "a Casio keyboard demo with broken English lyrics."

"This [music] is the thing that we do, right? This is the signature of our soul, and that someone else can walk in there and just have access like that..." he said, expressing his frustration and concern about the implications for artists.

A Pattern Emerges

Kaufman is among several Americana and folk-rock artists, including Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, J Tillman (Father John Misty), Sam Beam (Iron & Wine), Teddy Thompson, and Jakob Dylan, who have had fake tracks posted under their names, seemingly from the same source. The releases often share a similar style of AI artwork and are credited to record labels with Indonesian-sounding names.

Expert Analysis: The Rise of AI Fraud in Music

Tatiana Cirisano, a music industry analyst at Midia Research, believes that AI is "making it easier for fraudsters" to deceive listeners. She suggests that these bad actors are targeting lesser-known artists in the hope that their fraudulent tracks will accumulate enough streams to generate significant revenue.

"I would think that the AI fakes are targeting lesser-known artists in the hopes that their schemes fly under the radar, compared to if they were to target a superstar who could immediately get Spotify on the line," Cirisano explains.

She also points out that streaming services and distributors are "working hard" to improve their detection methods, including using AI and machine learning. "I think it's clear to everyone that every stakeholder must do their part," Cirisano says. "But it's complicated."

The Blaze Foley Case: Impersonating the Deceased

The issue extends beyond living artists. Craig McDonald, owner of Lost Art Records, was shocked to discover an AI-generated song on the verified artist page of Blaze Foley, a country singer who died in 1989. McDonald worries that these AI dupes could damage the credibility of artists like Foley, particularly for listeners unfamiliar with their music.

Streaming Services Respond

Spotify has stated that it removed the fraudulent tracks and will "remove any distributor who repeatedly allows this type of content on our platform." The company also acknowledged that the albums were "incorrectly added to the wrong profile of a different artist by the same name."

However, artists like Portman remain skeptical and call for more proactive measures to prevent fraudulent music from appearing on streaming platforms.

The Future of Music in the Age of AI

The rise of AI-generated music raises significant questions about the future of the music industry. As AI technology becomes more sophisticated, it is crucial to establish clear legal and ethical guidelines to protect artists' rights and ensure the integrity of creative works. The challenge lies in finding a balance between embracing the potential of AI and safeguarding the unique value of human creativity.