Even as Spotify has implemented steps to curb the spread of AI-created music on its service, it overlooked a fraudulent act producing fake versions of tracks by the Australian experimental rock group King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard. The veteran band, known for its outspoken opposition to Spotify, joined other musicians in pulling their catalog from the platform during the summer. This action stemmed from revelations about former CEO Daniel Ek's major stake in a firm specializing in AI for weapons and defense applications. On this day, a Reddit user spotted what seemed like an AI-made replica of a band song in Spotify's Release Radar feature. The bogus performer went by the name King Lizard Wizard and released an album featuring songs with titles and lyrics matching those of the genuine band's works. Futurism captured images of the fake profile, which has now been removed; searches for either the real or imitation name now only display the authentic band's page.
That said, the counterfeit album evaded detection by Spotify for several weeks until the Reddit discussion brought it to light. The online conversation also highlighted various informal reports of efforts to deceive fans using AI fabrications of well-known groups. Last September, Spotify introduced a tool to detect AI-generated filler content, along with guidelines requiring transparency about AI involvement in hosted material and strategies to combat artist mimicry. An occurrence such as this, involving a group that departed the service amid controversy, raises serious doubts regarding the effectiveness of these new measures.