A folk-pop song called “I Know, You’re Not Mine” recently topped Spotify’s charts in Sweden. The soft vocals, finger-plucked acoustic guitar and lyrics about lost love, released under the name Jacub, became one of the country’s most popular songs.
Days later, the song vanished from Sweden’s official singles ranking after chart compilers ruled that the artist behind it was an AI creation. The IFPI trade body said tracks deemed “mainly” created by AI “do not have the right to be on the top list”.
That contradiction — a hit embraced by listeners but barred by traditional rules — exposes the industry’s deep uncertainty over the technology even though major record labels have struck deals with a host of AI companies, from Silicon Valley giants to little-known start-ups. They are now moving from negotiation to market, with the first consumer products expected within months.