AI art can’t go on: Celine Dion alerts fans to AI-generated song scams online

Celine Dion’s warning about unauthorized AI songs impersonating her voice highlights growing tensions in the music industry around artificial intelligence. Her public statement comes amid broader industry pushback, with hundreds of prominent artists recently signing an open letter against AI threats to artistic integrity and compensation. This development reflects the music world’s struggle to address emerging tensions between technological innovation and artists’ rights as AI voice cloning becomes increasingly sophisticated.

The warning: Celine Dion took to Instagram to alert fans about fake AI-generated songs falsely attributed to her circulating online.

• “These recordings are fake and not approved, and are not songs from her official discography,” the Canadian star stated in her post.
• The 56-year-old singer didn’t specify which particular recordings prompted her statement.

Industry pushback: Over 200 major artists signed an open letter in April 2024 opposing AI threats in music.

• Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, Jon Bon Jovi, and the Jonas Brothers were among signatories of the Artist Rights Alliance-organized statement.
• The letter specifically targeted AI deepfakes, voice cloning, and using AI to reduce royalty payments to human artists.

Behind the scenes: Dion recently returned to performing after revealing her diagnosis with Stiff Person Syndrome, a rare neurological condition.

• She disclosed in December 2022 that she has been undergoing intensive physical, athletic and vocal therapy five days weekly.
• The condition causes muscle rigidity, spasms, and heightened sensitivity to stimuli like sounds and lights.

Why this matters: Dion’s situation represents one of the highest-profile cases of unauthorized AI voice recreation of a major artist who remains actively performing.

The comeback: Dion made her public return to performance at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony in July 2024.

• She delivered a rendition of Edith Piaf’s “Hymne à l’Amour” while positioned atop the Eiffel Tower.