Spotify’s AI songs from dead artists spark fresh outrage over exploitation

Spotify has been hit with another AI controversy after publishing computer-generated songs under the names of dead musicians.

An investigation by 404 Media found that Spotify is releasing AI-generated songs on the pages of deceased artists — without approval from their estates or labels. 

One such track, “Together,” recently appeared on the official page of Blake Foley, a country singer who was murdered in 1989. The song sounds vaguely similar to Foley’s style, but the accompanying image features a blonde, young man who looks nothing like him. 

404 Media linked the track to a company account called Syntax Error, which was also responsible for several other seemingly fabricated numbers. One included “Happened To You,” a song supposedly performed by Grammy-winning country singer-songwriter Guy Clark, who died in 2016. 

Spotify removed the unauthorised tracks after 404 Media’s report was published. However, while this is a particularly grim example of AI-generated ...