When student Eirunn Schulerud searched for her music on Spotify to show a classmate, she discovered an unauthorized, AI-generated profile featuring her face, a capitalized version of her name, and artificial tracks with a viking theme. The discovery made in Barcelona, where she studies musikkteater, initiated a difficult battle against streaming platform algorithms and digital impersonation that highlights growing concerns across the Norwegian music industry.
The unauthorized profile had existed on Spotify since February, complete with multiple new songs and a Nordic aesthetic that Schulerud does not connect with at all. Schulerud and her friends attempted to report the account across multiple social media platforms and streaming services, but encountered rigid automated responses claiming no identity theft had occurred. According to Schulerud, Spotify’s reporting architecture only permits users to flag individual songs or track names rather than an entire profile, leaving her emails unanswered and forcing her into a frustrating cycle of flagging individual tracks.
Did You Know?
Spotify reported that it has removed over 75 million spam tracks over the past 12 months as part of its ongoing efforts to combat unauthorized and artificially generated audio content.
Project “EIRUNNS VERDEN” Behind the Profile
The “perpetrator” behind the digital twin turned out to be neither a cynical scammer nor someone seeking to sabotage the real artist, but rather a cultural initiative exploring modern technology. Espen With-Hanssen, project manager for “EIRUNNS VERDEN”—a cultural project developed in collaboration with youth, schools, and voluntary organizations—confirmed he was responsible for the fictional artist universe. According to With-Hanssen, the project combines musical contributions from real artists with AI tools to explore a northern Norwegian identity, ultimately selecting the old Norse name Eirunn after brainstorming names tied to Bodø or Tromsø.
With-Hanssen suspects that search algorithms pulled data matching the real Schulerud simply because their search criteria aligned precisely with her existing digital footprint. While he insists there was no intent to steal an identity or generate profit—noting that the project has not earned any money based on streaming numbers—he acknowledged the unintended consequences. With-Hanssen stated that the project team plans to replace the confusing cover images with new artwork to eliminate confusion between the two, though the musical universe and the name “EIRUNN” will remain.
Industry Response and Streaming Platform Rules
The incident reflects a broader systemic issue facing independent artists across Norway. Hans Ole Rian, union leader at Creo, stated that the organization frequently receives identical stories from creators struggling to contact major streaming platforms and remove fake profiles. Rian noted that navigating these disputes places an unfair burden on individual artists, advising anyone affected to meticulously document everything by taking screenshots, downloading the disputed music, and filing formal notices with both platforms and distributors.
In response to inquiries regarding profile impersonation, Spotify representatives stated that protecting artist identities and removing illicit content remain top priorities. The company explained that reporting individual songs eventually results in the removal of an associated artist profile. Furthermore, Spotify highlighted newly deployed proactive measures, including a beta release of ‘Artist Profile Protection’ for pre-screening releases and ‘artist keys’ to authorize legitimate distributions, alongside a hardened policy targeting AI-generated imitations and unauthorized voice clones.
Expert Insight:
The friction between automated creative projects and real artist identities exposes a critical vulnerability in digital distribution models. When platform reporting tools place the burden of proof entirely on the creator, minor algorithmic overlaps can quickly escalate into stressful identity conflicts that require manual oversight to resolve.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who created the AI profile on Spotify?
The profile was created by Espen With-Hanssen as part of “EIRUNNS VERDEN,” a cultural project exploring technology and northern Norwegian identity in collaboration with youth and volunteers.
How can users report a fake artist profile on Spotify?
According to Spotify, users must report content errors at the individual track level, as platform tools currently do not feature a direct button to flag an entire artist profile at once.
Did the creators profit from the fake profile?
No, according to Eirunn Schulerud, the AI-generated version did not gain significant traction and earned zero revenue based on its streaming numbers.
What steps do you think streaming platforms should take to better protect independent artists from accidental algorithmic impersonation?
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