There’s a lot of AI crap out there.
AI slop has consumed Facebook, is running Wikipedia editors ragged, is rapidly destroying Google search, probably put an extra finger on the scales of election influence, is confusing and annoying crafters, steals endlessly from authors, is on its way to demolish YouTube comment sections, and will probably end up in a movie theater near you sooner than you think. But if you’re streaming Christmas music today, did something seem a little off to you? If so, there’s a very good chance you’ve been listening to AI-generated carol-slop.
As spotted by video game developer Karbonic, YouTube compilation videos are sneaking AI generated songs into their mixes. The example they posted, “Best of 1950s to 1970s Christmas Carols ~ vintage christmas songs that will melt your heart 🎅🎄⛄❄️,” has more than five million views and more than 2,000 comments. A ton of the comments appear to be engagement-farming bots, saying things like “I’m looking forward to Christmas 2024, is anyone else like me?” but many seem human. “It takes me back to my childhood and I realize how wonderful life was before worries about money and so many futile things that dont matter,” one person wrote. Another commented, “Missing memories of my youth. But, grateful for the blessings in my life. Merry Christmas and God bless you.❤”
If I put this on in the background while doing something else, I might not think anything of it. But there are points in the one hour 18 minute video that give it away as AI: “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” around the 36:55 mark, is the lyrics of that song but the melody of “Silent Night.” If you compare it to an actual recording of Nat King Cole singing “O Little Town,” the difference is even more obvious. Once you start noticing the warped tunes, they’re hard to un-hear. “Oh Holy Night” is listed in the video as being by “Nei Diamond,” who as far as I can tell doesn’t exist, or is a typo of Neil Diamond, who is definitely not the singer in the song on this compilation. “The First Noel,” attributed here to Nat King Cole, is either an undiscovered recording where Nat and the choir run some really wild riffs, or is AI.
[…]
A quick search around the internet to see if anyone else has encountered other holiday-flavored AI slop turned up a recent Reddit thread where people were complaining about seemingly fabricated Spotify artists haunting retail workers during an already agonizing season. They list Dean Snowfield, North Star Notesmiths, Sleighbelle, Frosty Nights, The Humbugs, Snowdrift Sleighs, and Daniel & The Holly Jollies as artists on Spotify that have snuck into Christmas playlists but have little to no trace of a career outside of the streaming platform. Some of them, like several of Dean Snowfield’s songs, sound like midi mixes with a stilted voice singing the lyrics. These artists make it onto huge, popular playlists like “Old Christmas Music” alongside real songs. It’s honestly hard to tell whether these artists are AI-generated or just mass produced. But their Spotify artist bios often have the same exact text, or follow this pattern:
“Dean Snowfield are songwriters, artists, and musicians who have combined forces to release holiday themed cover songs on their independent record label, distributed by Warner Music’s ADA. In November and December, their ‘A Nostalgic Noel’ sampler managed to generate over 8,000,000 streams across Spotify and Apple Music. As a collective of artists, Sleighbelle have a great deal of respect for the original songwriters and producers who created these beloved holiday classics, and ask that you support them by streaming their original versions. Without songwriters like Edward Polo, George Wyle, Huge Martin, and Ralph Blane, we wouldn’t have this music to interpret and cover. Thanks for listening to our labor of love, and make sure to follow us on our socials. – Dean Snowfield”
They didn’t just appear this year: Third Bridge Creative, a music creative agency, noticed these artists dwelling in the uncanny valley last Christmas, too. “Is it a coincidence that each of their top songs match up with the respective iconic Christmas hits? Why would I ‘immerse [my]self in the enchanting world of Christmas music with Dean Snowfield’s’ low-key creepy Nostalgic Noel when I can put on The Dean Martin Christmas Album instead?,” they wrote.
You get the idea. Basically, know what your sources are, beware of the algorithms, listen closely, and maybe complain at a store or restaurant if you hear something that sounds like AI. The sad fact is that this is an upward trend, but you can at least try not to contribute to it. Make your own playlists, with real artists you can vouch for, and help real musicians get paid, however little that may be from the streamers.