"Deerhoof Abandon Spotify in Protest: Band Ditches Platform Over Daniel Ek's Financing of AI Weapons Technology"
US band Deerhoof, known for their eclectic and experimental sound, have made a bold move by removing all of their music from Spotify. The decision was prompted by Spotify CEO Daniel Ek's investment of around $700 million from his fund Prima Materia into Helsing, a European defense company developing AI-driven military technology.
Deerhoof, in a strong ethical stance, do not want their music to be associated with or indirectly support AI battle technology that could contribute to violence and global militarization. The band explicitly stated, "We don’t want our music killing people. We don’t want our success being tied to AI battle tech."
Helsing is a new type of defense company that provides precision, mass, and autonomous capabilities to democracies for deterrence and protection. The company's work includes data harvesting technology for sensors on drones, capable of mapping out battlezones and providing real-time reconnaissance.
Criticizing Ek's involvement with Helsing, Deerhoof expressed discomfort with their success being tied to such ventures. They also criticized Spotify itself for its business model, describing it as an "already widely hated data-mining scam masquerading as a ‘music company’" and highlighting how artists earn only a fraction from streaming royalties compared to live performances.
Deerhoof understands that other artists and labels rely on Spotify for a significant portion of their income. However, they view themselves as a small, independent operation and do not wish to take over the world, especially if the price of "discoverability" is letting oligarchs fill the globe with computerized weaponry.
The band remains unsure about how long the takedown of their music will take and has not specified if they will return to Spotify in the future. If more big names decide to follow Deerhoof's lead and remove their music from Spotify, the band will keep their fans updated.
Deerhoof's latest album, Noble and Godlike in Ruin, will need to find a different route to market. The band, which has released 20 albums since their 1997 debut, promises to remove their music from Spotify's platform "as soon as possible" and thanks their various labels for their support in this decision.
The band's stance is one of ethical protest against the CEO’s military AI investments and opposition to Spotify’s corporate practices. As Deerhoof's music disappears from Spotify's platform, it serves as a reminder of the ethical questions that surround the intersection of technology, music, and warfare.
Deerhoof, in line with their ethical stances, choose not to have their music available on Spotify due to its CEO's investments in AI-driven military technology like Helsing, which they perceive as promoting violence and global militarization. The band also criticizes Spotify's business model, considering it an exploitative data-mining venture that undermines artists' earnings, particularly from streaming royalties.
