Celine Dion has become the latest musical powerhouse to raise her voice against the proliferation of AI-generated songs.
Image: Celine Dion Instagram
Celine Dion has become the latest musical powerhouse to raise her voice against the proliferation of AI-generated songs.
Following the emergence of three unauthorised tracks attributed to her, the beloved Canadian singer has taken a bold step in speaking out against the rising tide of artificial intelligence in the music industry.
In a statement posted on Instagram, Dion clarified to her followers: “It has come to our attention that unsanctioned, AI-generated music purporting to contain Celine Dion’s musical performances, name and likeness, is circulating online and across various Digital Service Providers.
"Please be advised that these recordings are fake and not approved and are not songs from her official discography.”
This warning follows the troubling trend where the technology behind AI has made it alarmingly easy to create counterfeit music that misrepresents beloved artists.
The implications are severe, as evidenced by one fake song - a cover of the cherished gospel track “Heal Me Lord”, which has accumulated over a million views. Another controversial piece featured Dion’s voice artificially duetting with Whitney Houston on the timeless ballad “I Will Always Love You”.
These fraudulent renditions have ignited a fierce debate on the integrity of music in the digital age, and many fans have rallied behind Dion's warning.
The response from her fanbase has been overwhelmingly supportive.
One user wrote: “We already know Celine. We just like to imagine a world where we hear you sing every song we love with that magical voice of yours. The AI will never live up to the real artist.”
Another lamented, “I wish they never discovered AI.” A third commented, “This AI crap is getting out of hand. There needs to be laws around this.”
Dion’s alarm comes at a particularly touching moment in her career.
After stepping back from the limelight in 2022 due to her diagnosis of stiff-person syndrome, a debilitating neurological disorder, she made her return to public performances at the recent 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, captivating audiences with her rendition of “Hymne à l'amour” and receiving a standing ovation during a surprise appearance at the 2024 Grammy Awards.
But Dion is not alone in her concerns. The discussion about the consequences of AI on the music industry is growing.
Last year, a viral AI-generated collaboration featuring Drake and The Weeknd caused waves before being pulled due to copyright issues, highlighting the potential dangers of AI encroachment in music production.
Furthermore, a public letter, signed by 200 artists - including the estates of legends such as Bob Marley and Frank Sinatra - expressed deep concern over AI's threat to human creativity, framing it as an “assault” on artistic integrity.
The letter advocated for protective measures against the misuse of AI that could exploit musicians’ identities for profit.
“Left unchecked, AI will set in motion a race to the bottom that will degrade the value of our work and prevent us from being fairly compensated for it,” the letter warned, urging technology developers and digital platforms to commit to ethical practices that respect and protect artists’ rights.
As Dion and fellow artists mobilise against AI-generated music, will the music industry take heed and set fair boundaries, or will the creativity of human artists continue to be overshadowed by artificial intelligence?