Is that a human artist or an AI persona? Spotify will soon make that distinction clearer with new “AI Persona” labels.
The streamer introduced the label today and said that it will apply to artists’ profiles whose public identity, name, and imagery “represent photorealistic AI-generated identities.”
You will begin seeing the label in search, artist profiles, and playlists starting in mid-September. Once an artist has been marked as an “AI Persona,” Spotify won’t include their songs in any editorial or algorithmic recommendations unless you follow the AI Persona.
“Listeners have been clear in telling us that they don’t like seeing an artist profile that seems human, only to find out that the persona is AI-generated,” Spotify says. “The badge signals to listeners that an artist’s identity may be AI-generated and does not represent a real person.”
Artists can declare themselves as an AI Persona through the Spotify for Artists platform starting today. Spotify will also begin identifying and marking “Likely AI Personas” soon.
If Spotify applies the label, the account holder will be notified and allowed to make a self-disclosure. They will also be allowed to appeal the label if it was applied in error. Spotify already has a Verified by Spotify badge for real, human artists, and an AI credits badge to indicate when part of a track is generated by AI. The new AI Persona label is meant to ensure that artists whose public image doesn’t suggest they are human are marked as such.
“This badge is about the artist’s public identity, not about how the music was made,” Spotify said. The streamer also noted that while “all artists have creative choice in determining how they present themselves, Spotify’s programming is focused on elevating music from authentic artists building careers in music.”