Spotify Criticized for AI Songs on Deceased Artists’ Pages

Spotify has come under fire after AI-generated songs, such as 'Together' on Blaze Foley's page and 'Happened To You' on Guy Clark's, were uploaded to the official pages of deceased artists without permission from their estates or labels, with the uploads traced to a company named Syntax Error. The songs featured AI-generated vocals and images unrelated to the artists, prompting outrage from rights holders and calls for stronger safeguards. Spotify removed the tracks for violating its Deceptive Content policy, placing partial blame on external distributors. The incident underscores ongoing industry concerns about transparency, artist rights, and the growing prevalence of unlabeled AI-generated acts like Velvet Sundown. Further complicating matters is CEO Daniel Ek's permissive stance on AI music, raising questions about Spotify's commitment to policing deceptive content. The controversy exemplifies broader challenges the music industry faces in the era of generative AI technology.