Sony Music has requested the removal of over 135,000 deepfake songs impersonating its artists, including Beyoncé, Queen, and Harry Styles. These AI-generated tracks cause direct commercial harm and can damage artists' reputations, especially during album promotions.
The company's president of global digital business, Dennis Kooker, emphasized that deepfakes take advantage of artists' popularity, detracting from their genuine efforts. Since March 2022, Sony has identified 60,000 such songs, indicating a growing trend as AI technology becomes more accessible.
Despite these challenges, the music industry saw a 6.4% revenue increase last year, reaching $31.7 billion. Streaming services continue to drive growth, with Taylor Swift leading as the top artist globally.
Industry leaders call for stricter measures to label and identify AI-generated content to prevent fraud and maintain transparency.