RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Spotify Technology SA will soon begin identifying artist profiles created by artificial intelligence with a new “AI Personas” label in an effort to bring more transparency to listeners about who’s behind the music.
The world’s largest music streaming service said it wants customers to know which artists are real humans and which ones are artificial. The company won’t recommend songs from these AI Personas in suggested playlists unless listeners specifically choose to receive them.
Starting Aug. 11, Spotify will allow artists to identify themselves as AI-generated. The labels will begin appearing on artist profiles starting in mid-September. Spotify will also root out profiles it suspects represent “photorealistic AI-generated identities” if they weren’t self-reported, and users can flag artists they think were AI-generated. Artists who believe they were mislabeled will have a chance to appeal.
“Listeners have been clear in telling us that they don’t like seeing an artist profile that seems human, only to find out that the persona is AI-generated,” the company said in announcing the initiative on Tuesday. “Listeners need to be able to trust that the artist behind the music is who they say they are. That’s more essential than ever in the age of generative AI.”
While much of the music on these AI Persona profiles is likely also generated by AI, the intention of the label is less about the songs and more about ensuring consumers know whether artists are humans or not. Last year, for example, a fake band called the Velvet Sundown sparked a debate about transparency when streams of the group’s music took off and the creators distributed AI-generated photos of the imaginary musicians.
The music industry has been wrestling with the pros and cons of the new technology that allows musical novices to create professional-sounding songs in seconds. Spotify has been rolling out a suite of AI-related products, including AI Credits, which allows artists to identify how they used AI in their work.
“Although there’s a broad spectrum in how artists use AI as a creative tool, the question of whether a profile represents an actual human is one where Spotify can help make a clear determination,” the company said.
This story was originally featured on Fortune.com
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