Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Beyoncé is among the artists whose voice has been cloned by people trying to skim money from streaming servicesByMark Savage Music correspondentPublished18 March 2026 Music giant Sony Music says it has requested the removal of more than 135,000 songs by fraudsters impersonating its artists on streaming services. The so-called deepfakes were created using generative AI, and targeted some of the company's biggest acts, who include Beyoncé, Queen and Harry Styles The proliferation of such counterfeits causes "direct commercial harm to legitimate recording artists", Sony said – and deliberately target musicians who are promoting a new album "In the worst cases, [the deepfakes] potentially damage a release campaign or tarnish the reputation of an artist," said Dennis Kooker, president of Sony's global digital business. The company says the number of songs generated in this fashion is only increasing as artificial intelligence technology becomes cheaper and easier to access.
Published: March 18, 2026 5:19 pm
Source: BBC — Read original