Fake AI-generated Drake song pulled from streaming services
- AI-generated Drake and The Weeknd collaboration is pulled from streaming services after going viral
- Universal Music Group is concerned about AIs using its songs to produce music similar to that of popular artists
A new song created using AI software to imitate Canadian singers Drake and The Weeknd has been removed from streaming services after quickly racking up millions of listens and sparking debate over the new technology.
Released last Friday, “Heart On My Sleeve” was briefly available on platforms including Spotify and Apple Music before Universal Music Group (UMG) – which publishes both artists through its Republic Records subsidiary – said it violates copyrights and asked for its removal.
The song features artificial intelligence (AI) simulating the voices of the two artists trading verses about actor and pop star Selena Gomez, who once dated The Weeknd.
Its creator, known only as @ghostwriter, claims to have used software that was trained on their voices to make the track, posting: “I used AI to make a Drake song feat. The Weeknd”.
“This is just the beginning,” he added on TikTok.
Online, many fans marvelled at the song’s ability to replicate the timbres and cadences of its real-life counterparts.
