London: The Velvet Sundown controversy has put the music industry at the center of a heated debate about artificial intelligence and authenticity.
The indie band has gained more than 850,000 monthly listeners on Spotify within weeks, despite no live shows, no known interviews and no credible proof that its members exist beyond the streaming platform.
Doubts grew after Rolling Stone US reported that a supposed spokesman for The Velvet Sundown admitted the tracks were made using an AI tool called Suno, but then revealed the ‘spokesman’ himself was a deliberate hoax to trick the media. The Velvet Sundown has since denied any link to the individual and distanced itself from fake accounts on X and other platforms.
In a statement, the band insisted that it creates its own music and has ‘no affiliation with this individual, nor any evidence confirming their identity or existence.’ Still, the confusion continues to blur the line between human and AI creativity, as rival streaming service Deezer’s AI detector flagged The Velvet Sundown’s songs as ‘100% AI generated.’
The Velvet Sundown controversy has reignited wider concerns among musicians. Major artists like Elton John and Dua Lipa have called for stronger laws to protect music from AI misuse.
Ed Newton Rex, founder of Fairly Trained, stated that, “This is exactly what artists have been worried about, it’s theft dressed up as competition. AI companies steal artists’ work to build their products, then flood the market with knock-offs, meaning less money goes to human musicians.”
Industry experts say the debate around The Velvet Sundown reflects the risks of fake music, deepfakes and AI hoaxes online. Professor Gina Neff from the University of Cambridge warned that blurred lines between real and artificial creativity threaten people’s trust in information online.
The Velvet Sundown case proves that clear rules and responsible AI use are urgently needed to protect artists and rebuild trust in digital music platforms.
ALSO READ | Microsoft to lay off 9,000 employees as AI push intensifies
