“Heart on My Sleeve”
The supposed new Drake song is spreading online – but the piece is AI-generated
Deceptively imitated: Since the weekend, an AI-generated song with a voice that sounds like rapper Drake has been spreading on the internet
© Christopher Katsarov / Picture Alliance
A supposed track by rapper Drake was created by the AI. The song is a new example of what artificial intelligence can do. However, authors of genuine works are alarmed.
A song called “Heart on My Sleeve” about a minute long has been circulating on the internet for a few days. The track begins with a piano melody, followed by two verses of rap and vocals. The voices, it seems, belong to Canadian superstars Drake and The Weeknd, who perform a duet.
Appearances are deceptive, however: “Heart on My Sleeve” is not a Drake/The Weeknd co-production, but an entirely AI-produced song that mimics the voices of the two artists in a deceptively real way. The track was first published on TikTok by an account called “ghostwriter977”. It is unclear who is behind it, the profile photo only shows a ghost with sunglasses. The complete song should be available via a link on the profile. One click takes you to the domain Laylo.com, where you are first asked to enter your cell phone number or email address or to connect via Messenger.
Mitchell Cohen, an employee of the US tech company AppSumo, has gone in search of clues. He writes that he considers the release of the track to be a marketing ploy, not by Drake but by said company Laylo.com. According to its own statements on its website, the company brings artists and audiences together in a targeted manner.
But whoever composed and released the track and for what purpose: “Heart on My Sleeve” is a new example of what AI can now do. A few weeks ago, an alleged photo of Pope Francis in a down jacket made the (online) world the best. A photographer won a renowned photo competition with a historical-looking AI image – but waived the prize because he wanted the work to be seen as a cautionary tale. Now, after the visuals, audio works are also causing a sensation.
KI: Artists and agencies are alarmed
Artists and their representatives have long been alarmed with regard to copyright and intellectual property – also because the AIs are trained with the works of real artists. The picture agency Getty Images has already initiated a lawsuit against works being copied and processed without a license. This harms the authors and only serves the companies behind the AI generators, it said. And Universal Music Group, which also has Drake under contract, wants to get major streaming platforms like Spotify to block access to their music for AI generators.
The supposed Drake track is not the only example from the music sector. Two weeks ago, music producer Young Guru posted a track on Instagram that clearly sounds like Jay-Z – but also comes from the AI.
He advocated that, in addition to names and faces, one’s own voice should also enjoy legal protection. Because, according to Young Guru, technical progress cannot be stopped: “Once the mind is out of the box, you can’t put it back”.
Sources: ghostwriter977 (TikTok) Getty Images, Financial Times (Paywall), ORF
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