A Canadian's AI Music Hoax Exposed: Apology and Legacy of 'The Velvet Sundown'

A Canadian man, using the pseudonym Andrew Frelon, duped journalists in an elaborate AI music hoax, creating a media frenzy that propelled the AI-assisted band The Velvet Sundown to a million monthly listeners on Spotify. Frelon apologized for the experiment but stated it was "too fascinating" to turn away from. He used generative AI platform Suno to create the songs and called the project an "art hoax." The controversy has sparked debate in the Francophone music scene and raised concerns about AI regulation.