Viral, but not human: the songs you’d probably won't guess were made by AI

AI-generated music is appearing more and more frequently in popular music charts, often to the surprise of its listeners. In recent years, there has been significant controversy surrounding AI-generated music, particularly regarding AI software being trained on musicians’ work without their consent. Oftentimes, artists are left feeling helpless as regulation struggles to keep pace with the ever-evolving world of AI music software.

Although many oppose AI-generated music, recent studies have revealed that 97% of people can’t tell the difference between fully AI-generated and human-made music. With this in mind, I have curated some popular AI-generated songs and artists whose music has gone viral on social media, mostly unbeknownst to their listeners.

1. I Run – Haven

I Run was made by producer duo Haven, who used AI to manipulate the female vocals in their viral hit. However, artist Jorja Smith and her record label, FAMM, claim the track violates copyright by impersonating her voice and using her vocals. The label has asked for a share of the royalties the song has generated and believes this incident reflects a much larger problem surrounding artists’ rights: “This isn't just about Jorja. It's bigger than one artist or one song.”

2. Predador de Perereca – BLOW Records

Another viral TikTok hit, this track was created using AI composition. It gained popularity as listeners filmed themselves enjoying the groovy rhythms, largely unaware of the highly explicit lyrics. The song is an AI-generated 1980s makeover of the 2015 hit Predador de Perereca by MC Jhey. This is yet another example of a real artist’s work being repurposed by AI software. Designed to be catchy and algorithm-friendly, these songs can gather millions of streams without providing any revenue to the original vocalists, songwriters, or performers.

3. Xania Monet – How Was I Supposed to Know?

Xania Monet  represents a slightly more unique case. Described as a “photorealistic avatar” with AI-generated vocals and songs, the digital persona has garnered thousands of fans, though some view their success as a scam. Xania’s creator, Nikki, is adamant about the creative authenticity of the project, explaining that the songs are based on poems she has written herself, and therefore contain some level of human emotion and creativity. However, after the avatar secured a $3 million record deal, many spoke out against Xania’s fame.

This case highlights the increasingly competitive landscape that many artists must now navigate, competing with AI-generated, pitch-perfect vocals. Not to mention, these avatars can produce music at a dizzyingly fast pace, skipping traditional creative processes in favour of maximising profit and engagement. While some argue that Xania is no different from singers who perform songs they did not write, the reality is that all human experience and emotion are ultimately absent from these works.

This sentiment is well captured by Van Badham in The Guardian: “Some notes may sound like Christina Aguilera, some sound like Beyoncé, but—unlike any of her influences—Xania ‘herself’ is never going to mourn, fear, risk anything for the cause of justice, make a difficult second album, explore her sexuality, confront the reality of ageing, wank, eat a cupcake or die.”

Overall, I agree that the rise of AI-generated vocals, especially those trained on real singers, poses a serious threat to the livelihoods and success of the people behind musical works. In the future, regulation must urgently catch up with this rapidly changing landscape, before more artists, writers and creatives have their unique ideas taken without consent. My biggest gripe with artists such as Xania is that they appear more incentivised by profit than by any genuine creative process: a soulless being creating soulless music.

What do you think? Were you surprised by any of these songs?