"Famous band Crowded House debunks claims of member Neil Finn suffering from erectile dysfunction due to false AI-generated news story circulating on Facebook"
In a recent turn of events, social media has been abuzz with a fake news report claiming that Neil Finn, the renowned musician and frontman of Crowded House, had fathered a child at the age of 67. The report, which turned out to be a fabrication, was fronted by TVNZ journalist Simon Dallow and included AI-generated footage, even featuring an AI-generated speech by Lance O'Sullivan.
The denial came swiftly, with Crowded House issuing a statement saying, "We're not sure where this came from, but please don't be fooled. Neil's never had trouble with erectile dysfunction." The quote, "For years, I lived with a problem. Most men are too ashamed to talk about. My erections became weaker and weaker until they stopped altogether. No desire, no confidence, no control. I was too embarrassed to even talk to my wife about it," is attributed to a fake Neil Finn in the fake news report.
This incident is not an isolated one. AI-generated fakery involving music and musicians has recently become a notable issue, primarily through the creation and distribution of fake songs attributed to deceased artists and entirely AI-created fake bands.
Historically, the trend has accelerated in the early 2020s as AI music synthesis technology improved. One prominent example occurred in 2025 when Spotify was found hosting AI-generated songs falsely attributed to late musicians like Blaze Foley (who died in 1989) and Guy Clark. These tracks came with AI-generated images that did not resemble the actual artists, misleading listeners and raising ethical concerns about authenticity and rights.
Another significant case involves The Velvet Sundown, an AI-created band with no human members. This band accumulated over one million monthly listeners on Spotify before investigations revealed that its songs, including tracks like “Dust on the Wind,” were completely AI-generated. The band's existence was essentially a digital fiction, raising broader questions about what counts as art when AI is involved in music production.
In addition to these examples, there has been a case of deliberate financial fraud using AI-generated music. A man named Michael Smith created a fake AI-generated band and used bots to inflate streaming numbers, reportedly earning over $10 million in royalties through this scheme.
These incidents have sparked ongoing debates and calls for transparency, proper labeling, and potentially government regulation in the music industry to differentiate human-made music from AI-generated content and to protect rights holders and listeners. Platforms like Spotify have started removing AI-generated songs from verified pages of dead artists in response to backlash.
As the line between reality and fiction continues to blur in the digital age, the music industry grapples with the challenges posed by AI. From fake news reports to AI-generated bands, the need for transparency and ethical practices is more pressing than ever.
- Neil Finn, the celebrated rock icon, faced an unusual and pitiful situation when a fake news report spread across social media, claiming he had fathered a child at 67.
- The music industry has witnessed an increase in AI-generated fakery, with instances of fake songs attributed to deceased artists and entirely artificial bands.
- In 2025, Spotify was found hosting AI-generated songs falsely attributed to late musicians like Blaze Foley and Guy Clark, causing ethical concerns about authenticity and rights.
- One instance involved The Velvet Sundown, an AI-created band with no human members, amassing over one million monthly listeners on Spotify.
- A man named Michael Smith took advantage of the situation by creating a fake AI-generated band and manipulating streaming numbers, reportedly earning over $10 million for himself.
- The music industry is now contending with these challenges posed by AI, from fake news reports to AI-generated bands, and there is a growing need for transparency and ethical practices.
- Platforms like Spotify have responded to the backlash by removing AI-generated songs from the verified pages of deceased artists, emphasizing the importance of differentiating human-made music from AI-generated content and protecting rights holders and listeners.
