A blues singer who peaked at number two on the UK singles chart has been revealed as an AI creation. Eddie Dalton, who does not actually exist, was made by a label called Crusty Records.
The label describes itself as specialising in building artist brands through artificial intelligence. Dalton’s song Another Day Old reached number two and number three on the official UK chart, despite the singer being entirely computer-generated.
His music has also racked up over a million listeners on some tracks on Spotify. Many suspect those numbers may have been inflated by bots, which would further benefit the label through streaming payouts.
Crusty Records is not new to this. Last year, a rock band called The Velvet Sundown was exposed as AI-generated after topping charts and gaining a large online following.
The Musicians’ Union is now pushing back against the growing use of AI in music. The organisation is campaigning for artists to have their copyright protected, arguing that many AI creations are built on real music without the consent of the original creators.
Spotify has also acknowledged the problem, warning that bad actors are increasingly trying to manipulate streams for financial gain as annual payouts have grown into the billions.
For now, AI music appears to be getting harder to detect. Dalton’s songs are being described as realistic and catchy, which is exactly what makes the situation so frustrating for real artists trying to make a living.
