More AI f*ckery: A fake bluegrass band died Monday in a fake airplane crash.

[Ocelot II]

The Gillyweeds were created using AI as part of an elaborate online treasure hunt. Monday morning, some local music fans woke up to tragic news. On the Facebook page for St. Paul bluegrass band the Gillyweeds, a post announced that all six members had just been killed in an airplane crash: “There are no words for the heartbreak of this loss. Our thoughts are with their families, loved ones and all who have been moved by their music.” The problem? The Gillyweeds don’t exist.

Their songs were posted on Bandcamp, but the band never existed, and the music was created by AI. The reason for the creation of a totally fake band and the announcement of its members' totally fake death in a totally fake plane crash was to promote an on-line treasure hunt, the actual business of the fake band's creator.

The Gillyweeds’ now-deleted Facebook page did have a note buried in the “about” section that read: “The Gillyweeds were a fictional, satirical band created for storytelling and entertainment purposes … no real musicians were harmed as a result (of) their untimely passing.” The band’s website does not have a similar disclaimer anywhere in plain sight.

Another issue . . . is that Bandcamp’s policy reads “music and audio that is generated wholly or in substantial part by AI is not permitted” on the site.

Bill Childs, a St. Paul attorney and radio host who jumped in on the Gillyweeds discourse on Bluesky, agreed that selling the fake band’s music on Bandcamp without any disclosure was problematic as there’s “no way anyone could know that those people don’t exist.”

https://www.twincities.com/2026/03/16/a-fake-st-paul-bluegrass-band-died-monday-in-a-fake-airplane-crash/
Gift link: https://www.twincities.com/2026/03/16/a-fake-st-paul-bluegrass-band-died-monday-in-a-fake-airplane-crash/?share=2ewtreadtefcbrmrftiu

How are people to know the music they hear is even real? If it's AI it will probably suck, but a lot of real pop music sucks, too. At least real musicians can try to make a living with their sucky music, but AI music, whether or not it sucks, is just stolen. AI is a blight and a scourge but I don't know what can be done about it.