Drake and The Weeknd: AI song removed from major streaming platforms

A song using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to replicate the voices of major music stars Drake and The Weeknd, has been taken down by streaming platforms including Apple Music and Spotify.

The song – Heart On My Sleeve – went viral last weekend with Drake and The Weeknd‘s voices imitated using AI, as claimed by its creator, known as @ghostwriter. It was released on major streaming platforms on Friday, 14th April, but was criticised by Universal Music Group for alleged infringement of copyright laws, and has since been taken down.

The track had already amassed 629,439 on Spotify, before being pulled from major streaming platforms. Despite their own developments in AI music, Universal have branded Heart On My Sleeve a violation of copyright law.

Credit: Picture and text from Twitter@DailyLoud

Universal Music Group has responded to the viral A.I.-generated song by Drake and The Weeknd calling it “fraud” & telling streaming platforms to ban the technology pic.twitter.com/I8S0dYfyff

— Daily Loud (@DailyLoud) April 19, 2023

There has recently been a high level of development and interest in AI technology and machine learning. With each new development comes new challenges and in this case, the challenge of intellectual property (IP).

As IP lawyer, Jani Ihalainen told the BBC: “Current legislation is nowhere near adequate to address deepfakes and the potential issues in terms of IP and other rights.”

AI/machine learning technology is able to create very convincing imitations, not only of voices but also of moving images, as a widely viewed video appearing to feature Morgan Freeman reveals.

Those in the public eye, notably those who have broadcasted many hours of spoken and visual content, seem currently the most vulnerable, as AI can use their content to learn nuanced visual and audio cues.

Celebrities such as Jim Carrey, Tom Cruise and Joe Rogan, as well as politicians and US presidents, have all had so-called deepfakes made of them. Although these can be humorous and well-intentioned, demonstrating the power of the technology, they can also be malicious and misleading.

Taking to the BBC, Tony Rigg, a lecturer in music industry management at the University of Central Lancashire said: “The use of AI in the music industry is a double-edged sword, with tensions arising from its potential to undermine the value of human creativity, juxtaposed with its potential to augment it.”

With this AI Drake and The Weeknd imitation song a hot topic at the moment, the question remains as to whether this technology will be a help or hindrance to creatives in various sectors. Furthermore, how will the problem of ownership and intellectual property be resolved?