Can you tell if your favorite song was created with AI? The viral “Papaoutai” cover controversy suggests this isn’t the case

Would it be obvious if artificial intelligence (AI?) created your new favorite song?

Millions of listeners recently encountered this question through a viral Afro-soul cover by PapaoutaiBelgian artist Stromae’s 2013 hit. The cover is becoming increasingly popular on streaming platforms and social media.

However, what most viewers don’t know is that it was created using AI, according to Deezer, a French music streaming service.

The Afro Soul cover highlights a growing challenge – the difficulty of detecting when generative AI has been used in production – and how audiences, platforms and artists are struggling to respond.

When Stromae first released the upbeat dance song Papaoutai as part of the album Racine Carréeit topped the charts in Belgium, France, Germany, Israel, the Netherlands and Switzerland. More than a decade after its release, it is still one of the most viewed French-language songs on YouTube.