Survey Finds 97% of People Fooled by AI-Generated Songs

⚡ KEY TAKEAWAYS

A new global survey found that 97% of listeners couldn’t tell the difference between AI-generated and human-made songs.
The findings come as an AI artist topped the Billboard digital country chart for the first time, marking a major industry milestone.
Despite rising popularity, most respondents expressed concern about AI’s impact on creativity, authenticity, and artists’ livelihoods.

A global survey by Deezer and Ipsos has revealed that nearly everyone – specifically 97% of listeners – can no longer distinguish between music made by artificial intelligence (AI) and tracks composed by humans as an AI-generated country song hit the top of the U.S. charts for the first time.

Fading Line Between Human and AI Music

Indeed, AI is already common in the mainstream of music, and most people can’t tell, as a new survey of 9,000 people across eight countries carried out by streaming platform Deezer and research firm Ipsos found that an overwhelming 97% of listeners failed to distinguish between AI-generated and human-created songs.

As it happens, the results come amid an AI-powered artist called Breaking Rust reaching the number one spot on Billboard’s digital country chart with its song ‘Walk My Walk.’ The track, performed entirely by an AI-generated male voice, is the first of its kind to top the list, a milestone forcing listeners to rethink what ‘real music’ means.

AI Music on the Rise – and so is Concern

Beyond shock, the survey revealed growing unease. More than half of respondents said they felt uncomfortable not being able to tell the difference between human and AI music, while 51% believe generative tools will flood streaming platforms with low-quality content.

Nearly two-thirds of those polled said AI would lead to a loss of creativity in music production. According to Deezer CEO Alexis Lanternier:

“The survey results clearly show that people care about music and want to know if they’re listening to AI or human-made tracks or not. There’s also no doubt that there are concerns about how AI-generated music will affect the livelihood of artists, music creation, and that AI companies shouldn’t be allowed to train their models on copyrighted material.”

AI Takes Over the Streaming Charts

Deezer’s internal data underscores the trend. In January 2025, just 1 in 10 streamed tracks were AI-generated. By October, that number had jumped to 1 in 3, or about 40,000 tracks daily. Despite growing public discomfort, AI-made music is gaining both listeners and legitimacy.

Deezer has become the only major platform to systematically label fully AI-generated songs, in a transparency move that many users now demand. Other streaming giants are following suit. After AI band The Velvet Sundown went viral on Spotify, the company announced a voluntary disclosure code to identify AI-assisted music.